UNICEF denounces nearly 180 deaths in Iran due to the US and Israeli military offensive

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that around 180 children have died as a result of the attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran as part of the offensive unleashed on February 28, including around 170 in the bombing of a girls’ school in Minab.

The UNICEF office in the Middle East and North Africa has been “deeply concerned about the lethal impact that the current military escalation in Iran is having on children,” before highlighting that so far it has left “some 180 boys and girls dead and many more injured.”

“Among the victims are 168 girls who lost their lives when an attack hit the Shajaré Tayebé girls’ primary school, in Minab, during school hours on February 28,” he lamented, while highlighting that “information indicates that the majority of the victims were students between 7 and 12 years old.”

“In addition, twelve children died in other schools in five different places in Iran,” he stressed. “These child victims are a harsh reminder of the brutality of war and violence against children, which impacts families and communities for entire generations,” he highlighted.

Thus, he recalled that “children and schools are protected by International Humanitarian Law”, while emphasizing that these centers “must be safe places” and warning that “as military attacks continue throughout the region, children are increasingly exposed to violence, and the impact on essential civilian infrastructure represents a direct threat to their well-being.”

“At least 20 schools and ten hospitals have been damaged in Iran, disrupting children’s access to education and essential health services,” said UNICEF, which has called on the parties in conflict to “comply with their obligations under international law and guarantee the protection of civilians.”

“In accordance with International Humanitarian Law, the life and well-being of children must always be protected,” the organization reiterated, pointing out that it “closely monitors the situation” and “is ready to support humanitarian efforts to help children and families affected by the escalation of violence.”

The offensive by the United States and Israel has left more than 1,200 dead in Iran to date, according to authorities. Among the dead are Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several ministers and senior officials of Iran’s military, which has responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and US interests in Middle Eastern countries, including military bases.