Middle East Crisis
Millions of children are in danger as the Middle East crisis escalates. They need your help now.
In places like Lebanon, Iran, Gaza, Syria and Yemen – families already pushed to the brink by years of instability, are suffering through another wave of violence.
Donate now to support and protect children impacted by the Middle East Crisis.
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What's happening in the Middle East?
Since 28th February 2026, more than 4,000 children have been reportedly killed or injured in the violence, and millions more displaced from their homes, with this figure growing by the hour. The services and infrastructure that children and families rely on, including hospitals, schools, and water and sanitation systems, have been disrupted, damaged and destroyed - leaving the most vulnerable at even greater risk.
UNICEF delivers life-saving aid across the Middle East in under 48 hours. Using 300+ warehouses and 'last-mile' logistics—including camels and Rapid Response Teams—we reach children in the most isolated conflict zones with water, medicine, and nutrition. Your support makes this possible.
Stand with children in crisis; please donate today to help UNICEF deliver immediate, life-saving relief.
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS
Children’s lives are at risk as fighting escalates across the Middle East. Donate today to help children affected by the conflict.
How your support reaches the frontline.
In places like Lebanon, Iran, Gaza, Syria and Yemen – families already pushed to the brink by years of instability, are suffering through another wave of violence.
LEBANON
Since March 2nd 2026, 2,509 people have been killed and 7, have been injured. Nearly 1,100,000 people have been displaced, including an estimated 400,000 children.
In response, UNICEF has reached 167,200 people with life-saving support, including bottles of water, family hygiene kits, high-energy biscuits, blankets and children’s clothing kits. We're also helping maintain clean water access for 2.8 million people and delivered 140 tons of essential medications and medical supplies.
Please donate now to ensure we can provide emergency supplies and clean water for families.
GAZA
After more than two years of conflict, Gaza remains a dangerous and difficult place to be a child.
Conflict in the region is expected to disrupt the supply of much needed aid into Gaza - affecting the delivery of education, fuel, medical supplies and clean water.
UNICEF remains on the ground in Gaza as one of a limited number of charity organisations responding to the humanitarian needs of children and their families.
If you would like to support our life-saving work in Gaza only, please visit our Gaza Appeal.
IRAN
Throughout the recent conflict, UNICEF has remained active and operational in Iran.
We're working with partners to deliver support to children and families across multiple sectors, including health services, mental health and psychosocial support, deploying pre-positioned health supplies, mobile health units, primary health care tents, and emergency health kits to help restore access to essential services for affected populations, alongside the provision of vaccines and psychosocial support for children and communities.
SYRIA
After 14 years of conflict and crisis, the current conflict in the Middle East will only exacerbate the situation for children in Syria.
Hostilities in Lebanon have caused more than 203,000 displaced Syrians and 37,000 Lebanese to cross the border into Syria, putting pressure on already fragile infrastructure. An estimated 16.5 million people, including 7.4 million children, will need humanitarian aid in Syria this year.
Our focus in Syria is on life-saving healthcare, nutrition, education, WASH and protecting children.
Please donate now to support children in Syria and across the Middle East.
YEMEN
Yemen is one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies. The impact of more than a decade of conflict, economic collapse and disease outbreaks has created deep needs for children across the country.
The regional crisis is likely to lead to supply disruptions and put extra pressure on basic services.
UNICEF will focus on maintaining our life-saving work for children and families, including by providing critical nutrition, health and water, sanitation and hygiene services.
Please donate now to support children in Yemen and across the Middle East.
Middle East Crisis - FAQs
The Funding Gap
UNICEF is 100% funded by voluntary donations from people like you.
Currently, we face critical funding gaps: For 2026, only 1.4% of Gaza’s needs and 16% of Lebanon’s requirements have been met. At the end of 2025, the funding gap for our work in Yemen and Syria was 63%.
As Governments budgets freeze, your gift becomes the only lifeline for millions of children in the Middle East. Help us close the gap by donating today.
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS
Children’s lives are at risk as fighting escalates across the Middle East. Donate today to help children affected by the conflict.
Other ways you can support
You can donate over the phone by calling our friendly team on 0800 243 575.
You can donate direct to our bank account - please use account 01-0505-0463764-00 and the code 'midea-ws'.
If you'd like to fundraise with your community to support our work in the Middle East, you can start a Raisely or Givealittle fundraiser.
You can make a philanthropic donation - please visit our Philanthropy page for more details.
You can also help us spread awareness of the situation for kids in the Middle East by sharing our appeal with your friends and family.
With your generous actions and support we can keep delivering essential supplies and services to children caught in the Middle East Crisis - from shelter and clean water, to education, nutrition and psychosocial care.
No matter how long children need us, or how the situation evolves, UNICEF will be there.
Humanitarian crisis for children deepens after one month of war in the Middle East
More than one month into the military escalation in the Middle East, conflict continues to exact a devastating toll on children across the region. More than 340 children have reportedly been killed and thousands injured.
Across the Middle East, a generation of children is being pulled deeper into crisis
On 17 March 2026 in Lebanon, Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, sits and interacts with 3-year-old Narjes (centre) while meeting displaced children and families sheltering at the Omar Faroukh school in Beirut.
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