UN 'deeply disturbed' by strike on Iran school that killed 160 children

WAM

A United Nations panel of experts said on Wednesday it was "deeply disturbed" by the deaths of children, after the bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school in southern Iran, which it said killed more than 160 children, citing reports.

The school in Minab was hit on Saturday, the first day of US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that the country's forces "would not ​deliberately target ⁠a school".

Israel has said it is investigating the incident.

"The Committee is alarmed by reports of strikes on civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, which have injured and traumatised children, and claimed many young lives," the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said in a statement.

Children must be protected from war, the committee added.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is a body of 18 independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which protects children’s rights to education and safeguards them from violence.

On Tuesday, the UN human rights office urged what it called "the forces behind a ‌deadly attack on a girls' school in Iran" to investigate and share insights into the incident, without saying who it believed was ​responsible.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, had raised the issue with UN human rights chief Volker Turk in a March 1 letter, calling the attack "unjustifiable" and "criminal".

More from International

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • The Business Breakfast

    6:00am - 10:00am

    The Business Breakfast is the day’s must listen for the UAE’s business leaders, and those who aspire to be.

  • The Agenda

    10:00am - 1:00pm

    Broadcasting every weekday, Georgia Tolley goes beyond the headlines to speak to government ministers, decision makers, analysts and local experts to find out how the news will impact those of us living in the UAE.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Is There Sufficient House Supply In UAE

    Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?

  • Noon's First Female Delivery Driver

    Glory Ehirim Nkiruka is Noon’s first ever female delivery driver. In her first ever interview, she explained why she loves her job, despite the heat!