At least 83 children have been killed and 254 others wounded since the outbreak of the March 2 war between Israel and Hezbollah, according to a statement issued Monday by UNICEF.
The agency’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, said the figures highlight the growing toll of the conflict on children across Lebanon.
According to the statement, the escalation in hostilities has resulted in “more than 10 children killed every day across Lebanon over the past week,” with approximately 36 children injured daily.
“In the last 28 months, 329 children have reportedly been killed in Lebanon and 1,632 injured. In just the last six days, the number of children killed has increased by 25 percent, bringing the devastating total to 412,” the statement added.
UNICEF described the figures as “staggering,” calling them “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,” the statement said.
Since clashes erupted on March 2 between the Israeli army and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, mass displacement across Lebanon has forced nearly 700,000 people from their homes, including around 200,000 children, adding to tens of thousands already displaced by previous escalations.
UNICEF called on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and shelters, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.
The agency concluded by urging “immediate efforts” to de-escalate the conflict and prevent further harm to children.
The UN also reported on Tuesday that over 100,000 have been displaced in Lebanon within the past 24 hours due to the ongoing conflict.
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