Source: UN News: Monday, April 13, 2026 00:01 AM
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that in Iran and across the Middle East region, children are at risk of physical harm and psychological distress. They are also facing attacks and increasing threats to the critical infrastructure on which their lives depend. Children in Iran are already suffering the greatest impact of this war. The combined impact of persistent attacks, instability and disruption to essential services is affecting their immediate security, long-term health, development and overall well-being. Tweet URL
According to UNICEF, children are being injured and displaced, and are forced to live in an environment of fear and uncertainty. Children are also dying. The schools, homes and communities that provide them with safety and stability are also being affected by the crisis. Health services inaccessible to millions of children According to the Iranian Ministry of Health and the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), hospitals and health services are under increasing pressure, with disruptions affecting access to critical care. Due to damage to 442 health facilities across the country, access to essential health services was affected for approximately 10 million people, including 22 million children. The Pasteur Institute in Iran has suffered huge losses. It has been the country’s main vaccine production hub for decades, and the loss has caused vaccine production to halt, increasing the risk of access to life-saving vaccines for children being cut off. The collapse of Tofig Darou, a major pharmaceutical company that makes drugs for complex and chronic diseases like cancer, has resulted in a serious shortage of life-saving treatments, putting the lives of patients, especially children, at immediate risk. Education According to reports, more than 760 schools have been destroyed or damaged, leaving many children dead and injured. These include the devastating missile attack on a school in Iran on the first day of the war, in which 168 boys and girls were killed. Children in the Middle East region are being affected by this war. Attacks in many countries have devastated the lives of children and damaged facilities and infrastructure. Children have also been killed or injured in Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon. International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks on civilian infrastructure critical to the survival of children. Because damage to water and sanitation systems will increase the risk of disease among children, power outages will further impact essential services for infants and vulnerable children.