Attacks on Schools Escalate Globally, Impacting Over 6,000 Children

Between 2022 and 2023, the Education Cannot Wait organization registered approximately 6,000 attacks targeting students, educators, and educational institutions. These attacks have resulted in the deaths, abductions, arrests, or harm of over 10,000 students. Grave violations of children's human rights are rising, with the UN Secretary-General's report (2024) verifying 41,370 incidents, the highest number since the inception of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate almost 30 years ago.

Key Takeaways:

• The number of attacks on schools has escalated globally, with a 20% increase in the use of schools for military purposes between 2022 and 2023.
• Grave violations of children's human rights have risen significantly, with 41,370 incidents verified in 2024, the highest number on record.
• The highest numbers of grave violations were verified in "Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (8,554), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4,043), Somalia (2,568), Nigeria (2,436) and Haiti (2,269).
• Attacks on schools rose by 44% in 2024, and rape and other forms of sexual violence jumped by 34%.
• Education Cannot Wait and its strategic partners are investing in lifesaving education support across the globe, including mental health and psychosocial support, protective learning environments, and specialized training for teachers.
• The Vasylkivka Support Lyceum No. 1 school in Ukraine, which received financial support through the ECW Multi-Year Resilience Programme, sustained significant damage after being hit by a missile in August 2024.
• Over 1,600 education institutions in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed during the war.

Statistics:

• 6,000 attacks on schools registered by the Education Cannot Wait organization between 2022 and 2023.
• 41,370 incidents of grave violations against children in armed conflict verified in 2024 by the UN Secretary-General's report.
• 8,554 grave violations verified in "Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory" in 2024.
• 44% increase in attacks on schools in 2024.
• 34% increase in rape and other forms of sexual violence in 2024.
• Over 10,000 students harmed in attacks on schools between 2022 and 2023.
• 1,600 education institutions damaged or destroyed in Ukraine during the war.

Sources:

• "Education Cannot Wait Calls for Immediate End to Attacks on Schools" (PRNewswire, Sept. 9, 2025)
• UN Secretary-General's Report (2024)
• Education Cannot Wait Multi-Year Resilience Programme in Ukraine
• Vasylkivka Support Lyceum No. 1 school in Ukraine