The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says child casualties in Iran have exceeded 2,500, calling for an immediate end to the violence and more protection for children caught in the conflict.
It warned that children war torn in Iran and neighbouring countries, were bearing the brunt of a conflict they neither started nor have the power to stop.
In a statement, UNICEF Acting Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Abdul Fofana, expressed concern over the growing toll on children, saying the conflict continues to claim young lives in their homes, schools and communities, places where they should be safest.
“This latest incident is yet another stark reminder that children across the region continue to pay the heaviest price. In the last five months, more than 4,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured across six countries – more than 2,500 of them in Iran, with 386 children reported killed and 2,117 children reported injured.’’
He cited a recent attack on a residential building on Qeshm Island, off the southern coast of Iran, where a two-year-old child and both parents were reportedly killed. Two other children were also said to have sustained injuries in the same incident.
Describing the attack as a tragic reminder of the human cost of the conflict, Abdul said children across the region continue to pay the highest price for the ongoing violence.
UNICEF warned against allowing the suffering of children to become normalised, stressing that young people remain among the most vulnerable victims of armed conflict.
The organisation called on all parties to comply with international humanitarian law, fully respect existing ceasefires and take all feasible measures to end the violence and ensure the protection of children at all times.
RN
