Adele Khodor, Regional Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), stated that any escalation of violence in the Middle East would have severe humanitarian consequences for children, putting their lives and well-being at risk, with “long-term impacts on the prospects for peace and stability” in the region.
In a statement released on Thursday, Ms. Khodor called for an immediate de-escalation to protect children’s lives and well-being, emphasizing that “the alternative is unimaginable.”
She highlighted that children in many Middle Eastern countries are facing harsher realities than ever before, with waves of violence and attacks over recent months, “resulting in devastating losses of children’s lives.”
“Almost every report of an attack brings news of children among the casualties. In less than a year, thousands of children have been killed across Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and the occupied Golan Heights,” she added.
The Regional Director also pointed to the numerous injuries that have left permanent scars on children’s bodies, causing extensive mental health damage, along with many losing their homes due to displacement, living in a “constant state of uncertainty and fear.”
Ms. Khodor reiterated UNICEF’s call to all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to protect civilians and essential services they rely on for survival, in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law. She emphasized, “Children have the right to protection from violence, and this must always be upheld.”
She stressed that children in the region urgently need peace and security, “and the chance to live with dignity, free from deprivation and fear, which begins with de-escalation, reaching a lasting political solution, and promising a brighter future.”
