The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned of the devastating toll on children amid the Middle East escalation, as cross‑border strikes, bombardments and mass displacement have turned the conflict into one of the region's most severe humanitarian crises in decades.
More than 2,100 children have been killed or injured since the military escalation in the Middle East, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban said at the UN headquarters in New York City on Monday.
Twenty‑three days into the escalating conflict, children in Iran, Lebanon, Israel and Kuwait are paying a devastating price, Chaiban said, adding that a further descent into a wider or protracted conflict would be catastrophic for millions more.
"This includes 206 children killed in Iran and 118 in Lebanon. Four children killed in Israel and one in Kuwait," Chaiban said.
Alongside the dead and wounded, there has been rapid displacement across several countries, driven by relentless bombardment and evacuation orders that have emptied communities, he said.
In Iran, the UN Refugee Agency estimated that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced, including up to 864,000 children, while in Lebanon, more than 1 million people are displaced, including an estimated 370,000 children, Chaiban said.
"Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected at all times. Schools are not targets. Hospitals are not targets. Children are not targets," he said.
UNICEF has been providing food, water and health supplies to families in shelters, Chaiban said.
In light of the situation in the Middle East, he called on all parties to the conflict to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and to ensure safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.
He also urged the international community to provide immediate financial support for aid efforts.
Over 2,100 children killed or injured since escalation in Mideast conflict: UN
China's top diplomat Wang Yi met with Jonathan Powell, British prime minister's national security adviser, in Beijing on Monday, and the two sides exchanged views on the situation in Iran, the Ukraine crisis and other issues.
Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, introduced China's objective and impartial position, stating that the spillover effects of the situation in Iran have expanded and the prolonged war will only bring more damage and serious aftereffects.
What all parties should do now is not to add fuel to the fire but to address the root cause and jointly bring the issue back to the track of political settlement through dialogue and negotiation, Wang added.
Noting that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's successful and historic visit to China in January was positively received in both countries and by international community, Wang said this fully demonstrates that developing a long-term, stable comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Britain is an inevitable trend and aligns with the aspirations of the people.
It also shows that as long as both sides move toward each other and engage in constructive communication, they can properly address challenges and issues to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, Wang added.
Both sides should implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, carry out exchanges at all levels, deepen cooperation in various fields, effectively manage differences, and promote the consistent and forward development of China-Britain relations, Wang said.
For his part, Powell said that the British side is willing to work with China to implement the outcomes of Prime Minister Starmer's visit to China, enhance communication and cooperation, and jointly develop a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership.
China's top diplomat meets British PM's national security adviser
