Kathmandu — At least 83 children have been killed in Lebanon in the past week due to increasing military activity and violent incidents, the UNICEF has said, expressing serious concern over the growing impact of the conflict on children.
In a statement issued Monday, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, said the situation in Lebanon has become extremely alarming as violence continues to intensify.
According to UNICEF, since March 2, at least 83 children have been killed and 254 injured in Lebanon. Data shows that in the last week alone, an average of more than 10 children have died each day, while around 36 children have been injured daily.
The agency also reported that in the past 28 months of conflict, 329 children have been killed and 1,632 injured in Lebanon. The number of child deaths has increased by 25 percent in just the last six days, which UNICEF described as a horrifying trend.
“Children are being killed and injured at an alarming rate due to ongoing military attacks across the country,” Beigbeder said. “Families are being forced to flee their homes in fear, and thousands of children are spending nights in cold and overcrowded shelters.”
According to UNICEF, nearly 700,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon due to the conflict, including about 200,000 children. The organization has urged all parties involved to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to follow international humanitarian law, especially in protecting schools, shelters, and public facilities.
Tensions in West Asia have intensified amid growing military confrontation involving Iran, United States, and Israel. The situation worsened after a joint U.S.–Israel military strike on February 28 reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, triggering a series of retaliatory attacks across the region.
Following the strike, Iran launched attacks on U.S. bases and Israeli targets in several Arab countries, while Israel expanded military operations targeting Hezbollah and Iran-backed groups, with the conflict now spreading into Lebanon.
