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The joyful, universal sound of children playing and singing.
Members of a circus performing group entertaining displaced children in the Gaza Strip.
For this child, it's a welcome distraction.
"We were sitting in the tent and heard singing. We came and found there were games and clowns. I brought my brothers and sisters too and we had a great time. We hope that these events continue. We are going through so much during this war."
The respite for the children of Gaza is desperately needed as it is for many other children living in the world's conflict zones.
This circus performer says their performance allows children to forget the harsh reality of life around them at least temporarily.
"We are aiming through these activities to offer some light in the Gaza Strip, to alleviate children's pain and post-traumatic stress. To help them forget and put a smile on their faces, even if it is a small moment in light of the pain, bombing and destruction that we are living in. We are trying to introduce an atmosphere of joy through these activities."
And there's a lot to forget for these children and many others around the world.
There has been an unprecedented number of killings and injuries of children in war zones, from Israel and the Palestinian territories to Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine.
U-N Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba says there's been a 21 percent jump in what the report describes as grave violations compared to prior years.
“The highest numbers of grave violations during 2023 were first and foremost, the killing and maiming of 11,649 children, second, the recruitment and use of 8,655 children, and thirdly, the abduction of 4,356 children.”
For the first time, the U-N report put Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children’s rights for the killing and maiming of children and attacking schools and hospitals.
It also listed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants for the first time as well for killing, injuring and abducting Israeli children.
The report says Hamas’ October 7 attack in southern Israel and Israel’s military retaliation in Gaza have led to more pain, death and serious injury, especially from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in Gaza.
“Situations in the CAAC report where substantial increase in grave violations were verified include a rise of over 155 percent violations over prior years in the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, notably in Israel and the Gaza Strip and the Occupied West Bank.
Sudan, where a war between rival generals vying for power has been raging since 2023, witnessed a 480 per cent increase in grave violations against children.
Ms Gamba says a high percentage of young people continue to be abducted for recruitment and sexual violence, including rape and sexual slavery.
“The Sudanese Armed Forces have been listed for the grave violations of killing and maiming, and for attacks on schools and hospitals. The Rapid Support Forces armed group has been listed for killing and maiming, recruitment and use, rape and other forms of sexual abuse, and attacks on schools and hospitals.”
The report states that while armed groups are responsible for around 50 per cent of violations - governments continue to remain the main perpetrators of violence against children.
This is mainly through attacks on infrastructure such as hospitals, schools or the denial of humanitarian access.
The highest number of such denials were verified in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Mali, Myanmar, Ukraine and Yemen.
