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UNICEF on Monday decried the rise in child casualties amid rising hostilities in Lebanon and called on all parties to protect civilians and infrastructure. It urged immediate efforts to de-escalate the situation and prevent further harm to children. Smoke rises in Lebanon after an Israeli shelling, following an escalation betweenHezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from the Israeli sideof the Israel-Lebanon border, March 8, 2026 (Photo/ Reuters)
The statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, highlighted how the continuous escalation of hostilities in Lebanon and the devastating toll it is taking on children are gravely concerning. "According to the latest reports, at least 83 children have been killed and 254 wounded since 2 March, as hostilities have intensified. On average, more than 10 children have been killed every day across Lebanon over the past week, with approximately 36 children injured each day." It added, "In the last 28 months, 329 children have reportedly been killed in Lebanon and 1,632 were injured. In just the last six days, the number of children killed has increased by 25 per cent, with a devastating figure of 412 children killed." Calling the figures staggering, Beigbeder said in the statement that they are a stark testament to the toll that conflict is taking on children. "As military strikes continue across the country, children are being killed and injured at a horrifying rate, families are fleeing their homes in fear, and thousands of children are now sleeping in cold and overcrowded shelters. Mass displacement across Lebanon has forced nearly 700,000 people - including around 200,000 children - from their homes, adding to the tens of thousands already uprooted from previous escalations." Beigbeder concluded the statement by calling upon all parties to protect civilian and civilian infrastructure and gave a call to de-escalate the situation. "UNICEF calls on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and shelters, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. UNICEF urges immediate efforts to de-escalate the situation and prevent further harm to children." The statement by UNICEF comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia as military operations and retaliatory actions involving Iran, the United States and Israel continue to escalate across the region, following the killing of Iran''s Supreme Leader, 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28. The strikes also killed several senior leaders of the Islamic Republic. In retaliation, Tehran launched counter-strikes targeting American military bases in multiple Arab countries and Israeli assets across the region. Israel, along with the US, continued its strikes on Tehran, with Tel Aviv widening the conflict to Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militant groups. (ANI)
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