Israeli military operations have severely disrupted healthcare in Gaza and Lebanon, creating a humanitarian crisis with devastating impacts on children’s health. These crises are marked by the highest child casualty rates recorded in any recent conflict. According to health officials in Gaza, over 16,900 children were killed within 12 months, with more than 20,000 children remaining trapped beneath rubble. In Lebanon, UNICEF has reported 890 pediatric casualties, including 650 cases within a 6-week period from October to November 2024. These numbers reflect a healthcare emergency, with children uniquely vulnerable owing to their developmental stage and specific medical needs. The broader context is equally devastating: nearly 4.5 million people are reported to have died in the Middle East over the past two decades, including in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, from the impacts of conflict on health, the environment and the economy. Among them, children have borne the heaviest burden.

The impact on children’s health extends far beyond immediate trauma care. The prevalence of complex injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, burns and amputations, requires immediate medical intervention and specialized pediatric expertise in pain management, fluid resuscitation and rehabilitation. These needs become particularly critical when healthcare facilities operate beyond capacity, as proper pediatric care requires not only scaled-down adult protocols but also fundamentally different approaches to treatment and recovery.