March 23, Kathmandu – As the conflict in the Middle East enters its fourth week, over 118 children have died in Lebanon and more than 200 in Kuwait. According to UNICEF estimates, since the onset of the war, an average of approximately 87 children are being killed or injured daily.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban has called on all parties involved to immediately halt hostilities, protect civilian infrastructure, and ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered without obstruction.
UNICEF has warned that the ongoing violence is triggering a severe crisis in the Middle East. The deaths of innocent children undermine public trust and cause long-term damage to scientific and social development, they stated.
Nearly a month into this devastating war, rising prices of oil, fuel, and gas have severely impacted the global economy, according to the United Nations.
With airspace, transportation, shipping routes, and major humanitarian corridors in the Middle East closed or blocked, access to essential supplies and medicines, as well as the delivery of human services and supply chains for businesses, have been disrupted.
Attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz have increased risks to the supply of essential goods and contributed to rising food prices.
Due to threats to food security and market instability, developing nations across Asia and Africa are expected to be among the most severely affected. – Rastriya Samachar Samiti
