ISTANBUL/ GENEVA 

The UN human rights office on Wednesday released new data showing 40% surge in civilian deaths in conflict globally and revealing widespread discrimination.

The report revealed that at least 48,384 individuals — mostly civilians — were killed in 2024, including 502 human rights defenders.

It also showed that one in five people globally reported experiencing discrimination.

Commenting on the data: UN human rights chief Volker Turk said: "These numbers represent countless aggregated individual stories and lives combined. At the same time, they reveal sobering failures to protect some of the most vulnerable people in peacetime and conflict situations and paint a picture of a global human rights landscape in need of urgent action."

The data also showed that nearly one in three people with disabilities reported experiencing discrimination compared to fewer than one in five without disabilities, which indicates that members of already marginalized groups are "disproportionately" affected by discrimination.

"Women reported suffering gender-based discrimination at more than double the rate of men. Discrimination also hits hardest in the poorest households, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality," the office noted.

The targeting of human rights defenders and journalists remained at alarming levels in 2024, with at least one human rights defender, journalist, or trade unionist killed or disappeared every 14 hours, according to the data.

The number of journalists and media workers killed increased by over 10%, with at least 60% in conflict zones, signaling the "highest proportion in over a decade."

At least 625 human rights defenders were killed (502) or disappeared (123) in 2024.

"Violence against children and women in armed conflicts was devastating over the last two years. Between 2023 and 2024, approximately four times more children and women were killed in armed conflicts compared with 2021-2022," the report said.

Between 2023 and 2024, the UN human rights office documented the deaths of 21,480 women and 16,690 children in conflicts worldwide — with Gaza accounting for 80% of child fatalities and 70% of women’s deaths.