Nearly 300 children killed since start of Iran conflict: UNICEF

Friday, 13 March 2026 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that nearly 300 children have reportedly been killed in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East since the US-Israeli attacks began on 28 February.

The agency said in a statement on Wednesday that the reported fatalities include 200 children in Iran, 91 in Lebanon, four in Israel, and one in Kuwait. It said the numbers are likely to rise as the violence intensifies and spreads.

The UNICEF said: “Widespread disruption to education has left millions of children out of school across the region, while hundreds of thousands of children have been displaced by unrelenting bombardment.”

It added: “Nothing justifies the killing and maiming of children, or the destruction and disruption of essential services that children depend on” such as hospitals, schools, and water and sanitation systems.

The UNICEF reiterated the Secretary-General’s call on parties to the conflict “to end the fighting and engage in diplomatic negotiations.”