Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Mar 24: More than 2,100 children have been killed or injured since the escalation of conflict in West Asia, a senior official of UNICEF said, warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Ted Chaiban told reporters at the United Nations headquarters that children across the region are “paying a devastating price” just 23 days into the conflict, cautioning that any further escalation could prove catastrophic for millions more.
According to Chaiban, the casualties include 206 children killed in Iran, 118 in Lebanon, four in Israel and one in Kuwait.
He noted that an average of around 87 children have been killed or injured every day since the conflict began.
The crisis has also triggered large-scale displacement across several countries due to continued bombardment and evacuation orders. The UN Refugee Agency estimates that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced in Iran, including about 864,000 children. In Lebanon, more than one million people have been displaced, including around 370,000 children.
Even before the latest escalation, nearly 44.8 million children across West Asia were already living in conflict-affected areas, Chaiban said.
Referring to his recent visit to Lebanon, he said the situation on the ground demands urgent global attention and a coordinated response. More than 350 public schools in Lebanon are currently being used as shelters, disrupting education for nearly 100,000 students, while essential services such as water supply and healthcare systems remain under severe strain.
UNICEF has reached around 151,000 internally displaced persons in over 250 shelters with essential supplies and is providing water and sanitation support in 188 shelters, benefiting approximately 46,000 people. However, Chaiban warned that humanitarian needs are rising faster than available resources.
He urged all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law and called for immediate de-escalation and a political resolution to the conflict.