Deadly bombing of Iran primary school ‘a grave violation of humanitarian law’: UNESCO

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The UN education agency, UNESCO, says that the bombing of a primary school during the US and Israeli military attacks on Iran on Saturday constitutes a grave violation of humanitarian law.

The missiles reportedly destroyed a girl’s primary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing around 150 and wounding almost 100. Many students are believed to be among the dead.

In a statement released on social media, UNESCO expressed deep alarm at the impact of the military attacks, which continued into Sunday, and noted that pupils in a place dedicated to learning are protected under international humanitarian law, and that “attacks against educational institutions endanger students and teachers and undermine the right to education.”

UNESCO joined a host of bodies from across the United Nations system and senior officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres, to condemn the military attacks, as well as the retaliatory strikes by Iran that hit several Middle Eastern countries.

Malala ‘heartbroken and appalled’ by strike

United Nations Messenger of Peace and Nobel Peace laurate Malala Yousafzai announced that she was heartbroken and appalled by the bombing of the school. 

UN Photo/Mark Garten

Malala Yousafzai at the United Nations (file)

“The killing of civilians, especially children, is unconscionable, and I condemn it unequivocally,” she said in a social media post, and called for the escalation of violence across the region to end, and for justice and accountability to follow.

“All states and parties must uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and safeguard schools,” she wrote. “Every child deserves to live and learn in peace.”

Malala became an international symbol of the fight for girls’ education after she was shot in 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education in her home country of Pakistan.