Nearly 300 children killed in just ten days of conflict in the Middle East. That means more than one child every hour.
This is the dramatic balance sheet released by Save the Children, according to which the military escalation in the region is hitting the little ones hard: air raids, bombings and mass displacements are leaving hundreds of thousands of families without homes, security and essential services.
The situation is particularly serious in Lebanon, where according to the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs more than 700,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. Among them there are over 200,000 children. Many families are fleeing in extremely difficult conditions, losing in just a few days everything that guaranteed stability and security to the little ones: homes, schools, communities and daily routines.
According to the humanitarian organization, 83 children have been killed and another 254 injured in airstrikes in Lebanon, part of an overall toll approaching 300 minors who have died in the region since the escalation began.
“Every war is a war against children”
For Nora Ingdal, director of Save the Children in Lebanon, the numbers tell only part of the tragedy.
It’s not just statistics, but lives shattered and children whose futures have been forever affected by war, he said.
The military escalation, Ingdal explained, is worsening the trauma of many minors who have already experienced years of instability, conflict and displacement.
According to the organization, it is urgent for all parties involved to respect international humanitarian law and take immediate measures to protect civilians, especially children.
The appeal: stop hostilities immediately
Faced with the growing number of civilian victims, Save the Children launches an appeal to the international community. An immediate cessation of hostilities remains urgent to avoid further loss of life and prevent an escalation of the conflict.
Children did not start this war and cannot continue to pay the highest price, concludes Ingdal.
But in the meantime in Gaza?
The situation of children in Gaza Strip continues to be one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world. According to updates fromUNICEFfrom the start of the war in October 2023 until the first months of 2026 over 21,000 children were among the victims, while tens of thousands were injured. Overall, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Strip around 44,500 minors were injured, a sign of the conflict’s devastating impact on young people.
In addition to the direct victims, almost the entire child population today lives in emergency conditions. In the Gaza Strip it is estimated that approximately 1.1 million children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including shortages of food, drinking water, medical care and basic services. Many of them have been forced to leave their homes, losing school, security and family stability after years of blockade and repeated violence.
In all of this, we also think about the heavy psychological impact of war: children exposed to bombings, continuous displacement and loss of family members develop deep and lasting trauma. It is children who always pay the highest price, but we don’t realize it.
Sources: Save the Children / UNICEF
