(NEW YORK) — The United Nations Children's Fund called 2014 "a devastating year for millions of children" on Monday.

Citing worsening conflicts around the world, UNICEF's Executive Director Anthony Lake noted that "children have been killed while studying in the classroom and while sleeping in their beds; they have been orphaned, kidnapped, tortured, recruited, raped and even sold as slaves." In fact, Lake said, "never in recent memory have so many children been subjected to such unspeakable brutality."

Up to 15 million children have been caught up in violent conflicts in the Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan, Palestine, Syria and Ukraine according to UNICEF. An even more astonishing 230 million children currently live in nations and areas affected by armed conflicts.

"It is sadly ironic that in this, the 25th anniversary year of the Convention on the Rights of the Child when we have been able to celebrate so much progress for children globally, the rights of so many millions of other children have been so brutally violated," Lake said. "Violence and trauma do more than harm individual children — they undermine the strength of societies."

Lake called on the international community to "make 2015 a much better year for every child."

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