The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the use of explosive weapons is behind more than two-thirds of the deaths and injuries of minors recorded between 2021 and 2025, a period in which more than 35,900 children were reported dead or seriously injured in war contexts.
In the report "Explosive Weapons and Child Victims in Conflict," the UN agency emphasizes that this type of weaponry is "recording an increasing incidence in different war scenarios" and specifies that it was related to nearly 66% of the deaths and serious injuries suffered by children during those years.
The proportion of child victims associated with explosive weapons has been continuously increasing. In 2021, they represented 54% of cases, and in 2025, they exceeded 72%. Most of these episodes are concentrated in Palestine, Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine, Somalia, and Yemen.
"No other type of weapon kills or injures more children than explosive weapons. (...) In 2021, for the first time, explosive weapons caused more than half of all verified child victims. This trend has continued to worsen year after year," the text states.
The document also details that "in that same five-year period, the proportion of child victims caused by gunfire and other firearms decreased from 33% in 2021 to 18% in 2025." It also points out that "other global datasets that record civilian casualties resulting from the use of explosive weapons --across all age groups-- indicate that it is estimated that 97% of these victims occur in populated areas."
UNICEF highlights that aerial military operations have become the leading cause of child victims globally, accounting for 30% of all verified cases in those four years. The number of children killed or injured by this type of action surged starting in 2022, reaching the highest levels in 2023 and 2025.
This spike is mainly linked to the Israeli offensive on Gaza, although the report also identifies significant increases in Myanmar, Sudan, Lebanon, and Ukraine. Afghanistan and Syria continued to record confirmed child victims from airstrikes, although in lower numbers than in previous years.
Increase in the use of armed drones
The organization also focuses on the growing risk linked to the use of drones. Despite the lack of complete information, UNICEF indicates that from the available data and documentation, three main conclusions can be drawn. "Firstly, the damage caused by armed drones to children has reached a symbolic threshold and is a cause for global concern, with more than 1,000 children confirmed as dead or mutilated in attacks with armed drones between 2021 and 2025," the text states.
"The highest number of child victims --415 dead or mutilated-- was recorded in 2025. Additionally, in 2025, child victims were verified in 13 conflict situations across four continents: Africa, Asia, America, and Europe, compared to two conflict situations in 2020," it has explained.
Secondly, the report concludes that the use of armed drones is expanding the geographical scope of hostilities, increasing the danger for minors in areas that were previously not directly exposed to crossfire. "Armed drones can travel long distances and affect areas far beyond traditional front lines," it has emphasized.
"Thirdly, although poorly documented, the psychological impact of armed drones on children is significant. The constant sound of armed drones and the difficulty in distinguishing them from unarmed ones can generate psychological distress, fear, anxiety, and constant helplessness among children, and this fear can disrupt their daily routines, such as their usual trips to school or health centers," it has pointed out.
UNICEF also reminds that 48% of child victims are minors who suffer serious injuries that leave them with some type of permanent disability. The organization warns that artillery and projectile attacks —including mortars, rockets, and other explosives— pose a considerable threat to children and have caused 14% of all deaths and mutilations of children between 2021 and 2025.
"Explosive remnants of war, including remnants of cluster munitions, accounted for the largest proportion, at 46%. Mines, including improvised mines, accounted for approximately 14 percent," it has clarified.
In this scenario, UNICEF calls on all warring parties to take measures to "protect and ensure respect for the rights of children, including ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and holding accountable those responsible for serious violations against children." It also insists that "actors with influence over the parties in conflict must use their capacity to advocate to strengthen the protection of children against the impact of armed drones."