Children Affected by Armed Conflict, 1990–2017

The document provides a mapping of children living in conflict settings, distinguishing between those in conflict-affected countries and those in 'conflict zones' (within 50km of fighting). In 2017, approximately 1.8 billion children lived in conflict-affected countries, while 420 million lived in conflict zones. Asia has the highest absolute number of affected children, but the Middle East has the highest proportion relative to its population. The report also notes a rise in the number of children in conflict zones since 2000 and discusses the severe impact of the denial of humanitarian access, particularly in South Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and the Central African Republic.

• Approximately 420 million children (more than 1 in 6) lived in 'conflict zones' in 2017, defined as being within a 50km radius of a conflict event. This represents a 7% increase from 2016, when the figure was 393 million.
• Asia is the region with the highest absolute number of children in conflict zones (195 million), while the Middle East has the highest relative share, with approximately 40% of its children living in such zones.
• Six countries account for more than half of all children living in conflict zones in 2017: India (over 56 million), Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.
• The number of children living in conflict zones has risen by more than 50% since the early-to-mid 1990s, when the figure was around 200 million.
• In 2017, 33.7% of children in conflict zones lived in high-intensity zones (conflicts with over 1,000 battle-related deaths per year), a decrease from 46.8% in 2016.
• The United Nations verified 1,432 incidents of denial of humanitarian access (DHA) to children in 2017. South Sudan had the most incidents (783), followed by Yemen (248), Syria (107), and the Central African Republic (101).

APA

Østby, G., Rustad, S. A., & Tollefsen, A. F. (2018). Children Affected by Armed Conflict, 1990–2017. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6edb427a-12f5-40f6-a5e8-70f31712b033/Ostby Rustad Tollefsen et al- Children Affected by Armed Conflict 1990-2017 Conflict Trends 10-2018.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Østby, Gudrun, Siri Aas Rustad, and Andreas Forø Tollefsen. Children Affected by Armed Conflict, 1990–2017. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2018. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6edb427a-12f5-40f6-a5e8-70f31712b033/Ostby Rustad Tollefsen et al- Children Affected by Armed Conflict 1990-2017 Conflict Trends 10-2018.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Østby |first1=Gudrun |last2=Rustad |first2=Siri Aas |last3=Tollefsen |first3=Andreas Forø |title=Children Affected by Armed Conflict, 1990–2017 |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2018 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6edb427a-12f5-40f6-a5e8-70f31712b033/Ostby Rustad Tollefsen et al- Children Affected by Armed Conflict 1990-2017 Conflict Trends 10-2018.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stby2018children, author = {Østby, Gudrun and Rustad, Siri Aas and Tollefsen, Andreas Forø}, title = {{Children Affected by Armed Conflict, 1990–2017}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2018}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6edb427a-12f5-40f6-a5e8-70f31712b033/Ostby Rustad Tollefsen et al- Children Affected by Armed Conflict 1990-2017 Conflict Trends 10-2018.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }