UNICEF Says Children In Lebanon Have Physical And Mental Wounds Due To War

Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Children in Lebanon suffered severe injuries from attacks and shrapnel, a UN agency spokesman for children said on Monday, as Israel's war with Hezbollah escalated.

"Korban konflik ini telah meningkat dalam beberapa minggu terakhir dan benar-benar, benar-benar berdampak besar pada anak-anak di sini dalam hal jumlah yang tewas dan terluka tetapi juga yang mengungsi," kata juru bicara UNICEF Tess Ingram kepada Michael Holmes dari CNN, seperti dilansir 7 Oktober.

"The doctor I spoke to told us children have war scars, both physically and mentally," he said.

Ingram said the most common injury was a shrapnel wound. Some children also suffered brain injuries, concussions and injuries to the body due to being thrown by explosions.

In addition, children also experience anxiety, nightmares, and mental shadowing.

Israel's attacks on Hezbollah have killed more than 1,400 people in Lebanon in recent weeks, according to its health ministry, and created a humanitarian crisis.

UNICEF said more than 690 children were injured in Lebanon as the conflict escalated in the past six weeks, and more than 400,000 children had fled their homes as families tried to escape the attack.

"People have fled southern Lebanon, but also the southern suburbs in Beirut where the attacks have been completely intensive, in particular in recent days, consistent attacks occurred at night, but also increased during the day now," he explained.

Separately, Lebanese authorities said more than 1.2 million people had been displaced since fighting escalated last month. Many have been temporarily stationed in schools across the country.