Wars in Middle East threw children into deep crisis

Wars in Middle East threw children into deep crisis
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Millions of children across the Middle East are facing profound hardship because of the ongoing US‑Israeli war against Iran and the wider regional conflict, with mass displacement, killings and grave rights violations reported, according to Unicef and rights groups.

Since the attacks began, Unicef says more than 340 children have been killed and thousands injured. The deadliest single incident was a US missile strike on a school in Iran, which killed at least 160 children and teachers on the first day of the conflict. Across the region, an estimated 1.2 million children have been displaced, including over 400,000 in Lebanon where many families now live in makeshift tents with little access to food, water or sanitation.

In Gaza and the occupied West Bank, continued Israeli military operations have resulted in child deaths and severe disruption of services, with Save the Children reporting that over 20,000 Palestinian children had already been killed before the latest escalation. In Israel, at least four children have died from Iranian missile strikes.

Human Rights Watch has also documented the use of children as young as 12 in militia roles in Iran, a practice it calls a violation of international law. Attacks on schools and hospitals have been widespread, with hundreds of medical centres and schools damaged or destroyed, forcing tens of millions of children out of education.

Humanitarian agencies warn the psychological and developmental impacts of such prolonged violence will be long‑lasting.