New York: Scores of children have been killed in popular uprisings and conflicts across the Middle East and north Africa in recent months, the UN said on Wednesday in a new condemnation of attacks on civilians.
At least 20 children have been killed in the besieged Libyan city of Misrata, 26 in Yemen — where another 800 have been reported wounded — and nine in Syria, the head of the UN Children`s Fund (UNICEF), Anthony Lake said.
Many of the dead and injured in Bahrain`s protests are school students, he added.
In the Israel-Palestinian conflict, a 16-year-old boy died this week from injuries sustained when a rocket fired from Gaza hit a school bus. At least eight children have been killed in Gaza, Lake reported.
"UNICEF is greatly concerned about the effects of violence on children caught in escalating conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa," Lake said in a statement.
"We continue to condemn the targeting of civilians by armed groups, and call on all parties to provide humanitarian aid workers with immediate access to all areas and children in need."
Bureau Report
