UN child rights experts condemn attacks on schools and hospitals, urging an immediate ceasefire to protect children from the devastating impacts of the Middle East conflict.

GENEVA: UN child rights experts have issued a stark warning that children must never be treated as “collateral damage” in the ongoing Middle East war.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed alarm on Wednesday over reports of strikes on civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, which have injured, traumatised, and killed children.

The committee highlighted an alleged air strike on a school in the Iranian city of Minab, which Iran has blamed on Israel and the United States, giving a toll of more than 150 dead.

Neither the United States nor Israel have confirmed the attack, and the reported toll has not been independently verified.

According to Iranian state media, funerals were held on Tuesday for at least 165 people, including students, killed in the alleged strike.

The committee’s 18 independent experts monitor how countries implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a treaty in force since 1990 that is ratified by every UN member state except the United States.

The convention requires countries to safeguard every child’s rights to life, survival, and development, especially during armed conflicts.

“Children must be protected from direct and indirect effects of hostilities,” the committee stated firmly.

It called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire by all parties to the conflict so that children are no longer exposed to killing, maiming, displacement, or psychological harm.

The experts also urged warring parties to take all necessary measures to protect children, including ensuring schools and hospitals are not attacked and that humanitarian aid can reach them safely.

While the committee’s opinions are non-binding, they carry significant reputational weight for the nations involved.

 The Sun Malaysia