UNICEF raises alarm over rising child deaths in Iran conflict

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has voiced deep concern over the deadly toll the ongoing military escalation in Iran is taking on children, saying around 180 children have reportedly been killed and many more injured.

In a statement, UNICEF said 168 girls were killed when a strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28 while classes were underway.

Reports indicated that most of the victims were schoolchildren aged between seven and 12. It added that 12 more children were killed in other schools across five locations in Iran.

UNICEF is deeply concerned about the deadly impact the ongoing military escalation in Iran is having on children. Approximately 180 children have reportedly been killed and many more injured.

Full statement by UNICEF in the Middle East and North Africa:…

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) March 5, 2026

The latest escalation began last week after the United States and Israel launched pre-emptive strikes on targets in Iran, triggering a sharp deterioration in regional tensions. The attacks followed the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Since then, the conflict has expanded across multiple fronts in the Gulf region, with Iran vowing retaliation and warning of wider consequences.

Among the deadliest incidents was the strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ Elementary School in Minab, which UNICEF said marked one of the deadliest attacks on a school in the conflict so far and drew widespread condemnation from humanitarian organisations.

“These child casualties are a stark reminder of the brutality of war and violence on children, which impacts families and communities for generations,” UNICEF said.

Read: Trump says not currently considering US ground forces in Iran

The organisation stressed that children and schools are protected under international humanitarian law and must remain places of safety.

According to UNICEF, at least 20 schools and 10 hospitals have reportedly been damaged amid ongoing strikes across the region, disrupting children’s access to education and critical health services.

“UNICEF urgently calls on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law, and to ensure the protection of civilians,” the statement said.

The agency added that the lives and well-being of children must always be protected under international humanitarian law and said it was closely monitoring the situation and stood ready to support humanitarian efforts to assist children and families affected by the escalating violence.