Statement by UNICEF Acting Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Abdul Fofana, as child casualties in Iran reportedly exceed 2,500 amid ongoing war

AMMAN, July 31, 2026 - "As war reverberates in Iran and neighboring countries, children continue to be killed and maimed in the places where they should be safest - their homes, schools and communities.

"Yesterday, in Qeshm Island, off the southern coast of Iran, a two-year-old child was reportedly killed alongside the child's parents after a strike hit a residential building. Another two children were reportedly injured in the same attack.

"This latest incident is yet another stark reminder that children across the region continue to pay the heaviest price. In the last five months, more than 4,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured across six countries - more than 2,500 of them in Iran, with 386 children reported killed and 2,117 children reported injured.

"Parties to the conflict should not normalize the suffering of children, who remain at the sharpest end of conflicts they did not start and have no power to stop.

"UNICEF calls on all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. Ceasefires must be fully respected and implemented. Parties must take all feasible measures to end the violence now and protect children at all times, wherever they may be."

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