Protect children from the horrors of war

It was not long ago that we heard a displaced eight-year-old Syrian child tell the media that she would not want any child in the world to endure the same harsh circumstances she faces. “I dream of a future where I can live without the constant fear of being killed,” an emotional Fatima was quoted as saying, her emotions running deep.
From Syria to Gaza and now Iran, the headlines continually remind us of a painful truth: children are always among the hardest hit during conflicts and wars. The latest tragedy is the deadliest attack on a primary school in southern Iran, which has killed scores of children amid the ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel.
Reports indicate that a missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school while classes were in session. The victims were primarily girls aged 7 to 12, and significant portions of the school building were damaged during the attack.
A strike on a school represents a grave assault on children, education, and the future of an entire community. Schools are civilian sites, and children receive explicit protection under international humanitarian law.
Attacking civilian objects, such as schools, is prohibited under customary international humanitarian law unless these objects have been transformed into military targets. Deliberate attacks on educational institutions that do not have military significance are classified as war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute.
International humanitarian law is a set of rules that limit the effects of armed conflict. It was established by the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, and supplemented by the Additional Protocols of 1977.
According to the United Nations' 2024 annual report on violations of children's rights worldwide, violence against individuals under 18 reached an unprecedented level, with a staggering 25 per cent increase compared to 2023.
While condemning the killing of children, Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, said, cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball—but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings—should keep all of us awake at night.'
The report verified 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024 —comprising 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed previously but confirmed in 2024 — the highest number since the monitoring tool was established nearly 30 years ago. This new record surpasses 2023, another record year, which itself represented a 21 per cent increase over the previous year.
With more than 4,500 killed and 7,000 injured, children continue to bear 'the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks,' the report stated.
Children are not the instigators of wars, yet they bear the greatest burden of the consequences. They are at a higher risk than adults of being killed or injured by bombs or weapons. They lose the support and care of relatives and companions.
Children living in conflict zones are losing their childhood. Rather than acknowledging the unique safeguards granted to children, governments and armed factions globally openly.
Global peace and security organisations, including the United Nations Security Council and regional bodies, must reaffirm their commitment to cooperative initiatives that prioritise the protection and welfare of children affected by armed conflicts, emphasising diplomatic efforts to resolve these disputes.
Let me conclude with what the United States’ First Lady, Melania Trump, said to the UN Security Council during its meeting last weekend: “The most effective way to protect children from conflict is to prevent and end wars.”
What we are witnessing today is a breakdown in the basic protections owed to each of these children — not only as a legal obligation but also as a matter of human decency.