Rising Child Deaths in Lebanon: Over 83 Killed in a Week Amid Conflict

Rising military activity and violent incidents in Lebanon have claimed the lives of at least 83 children in the past week. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed serious concern over the increasing deaths and injuries among children.

In a statement released on Monday, Eduard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, described the impact of the escalating conflict on children in Lebanon as extremely alarming.

According to him, since March 2, at least 83 children have died and 254 have been injured in Lebanon. Data from the past week shows that on average, more than 10 children have died daily, with around 36 children injured each day.

UNICEF reports that in the last 28 months, 329 children have died and 1,632 have been injured due to the conflict in Lebanon. The number of child deaths has increased by 25% in just the last six days, which the organization describes as a very serious situation.

“Children continue to be killed and injured at alarming rates due to nationwide military attacks,” said Beigbeder. “Families are forced to flee their homes out of fear, and thousands of children are spending nights in cold and overcrowded shelters.”

UNICEF estimates that the conflict has displaced around 700,000 people in Lebanon, including approximately 200,000 children. The organization has called on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and urged adherence to international humanitarian law to safeguard schools, shelters, and other civilian facilities.

Regional tensions in West Asia, particularly between Iran, the United States, and Israel, have further intensified the conflict. On February 28, a joint military attack by the US and Israel escalated tensions after the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In retaliation, Iran carried out attacks on US military bases and Israeli targets across several Arab countries. Israel has continued its attacks on Iran and expanded military operations to Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah and Iran-backed groups.