Conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa have cost children dearly—at least 12.2 million have been killed, injured, or forced from their homes in less than two years. That’s the reality highlighted in a new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report that paints a stark picture: every five seconds, another child is displaced, and every fifteen minutes, one is killed or maimed, according to a press release.
The numbers are heartbreaking. Over 12 million children have been pushed from their homes, 40,000 have suffered life-changing injuries, and nearly 20,000 have lost their lives. “A child’s life is being turned upside down every five seconds,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. He stressed that half of the region’s 220 million children now live in countries torn by war.
Violence continues to shatter daily life for almost 110 million children across the region. Schools, hospitals, and homes are routinely destroyed, and many young survivors face trauma that could last a lifetime. UNICEF warns that by 2025, 45 million children will need humanitarian aid—up from 32 million just five years ago.
But as the need grows, funding is falling short. Major programs in Syria and the State of Palestine face funding gaps as high as 78% and 68%, respectively, and UNICEF expects its MENA budget to shrink by up to a quarter by next year. That could mean the loss of $370 million for critical care, safe water, and vaccines.
UNICEF is urging an end to hostilities and calling on all parties to respect children’s rights and international law.
“Conflicts must stop. Support for vulnerable children must increase, not decline,” said Beigbeder, appealing to donors and influential governments to step up and protect the region’s youngest victims.
