BEIRUT - Violence and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa threaten the lives of over 24 million children, most of them in Yemen, Iraq and Syria, the United Nation's children agency said in a report Wednesday.
From cholera in Yemen to attacks on hospitals in Syria and the tens of thousands of children trapped in Iraq's city of Mosul, UNICEF said the violence is depriving children of essential health care. Water and sanitation services have been compromised, causing waterborne diseases to spread while health care and nutritious food are insufficient to meet children's needs, it said.
"Violence is crippling health systems in conflict-affected countries and threatens children's very survival," said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF's director for the Middle East and North Africa.
"Beyond the bombs, bullets and explosions, countless children are dying in silence from diseases that could easily be prevented and treated," he added.
The glaring figures reflect the enormity of the disaster. According to UNICEF, Yemen tops the list, with 9.6 million children in need, followed by Syria, Iraq, Sudan, the Gaza Strip and Libya.
Yemen's two-year conflict has pushed the impoverished country to the brink of famine, with widespread severe acute malnutrition among children. (AP)