Regarding:

Request for submission to UN Committees: Lack of response by UNICEF Iran regarding the killing of children and orphaned minors since 8 January 2026

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am addressing this petition to UNICEF Germany with the explicit request that it be submitted to the appropriate bodies at United Nations level, including the relevant Committees and mandate holders.

On 8 January 2026, and in the days that followed, children were killed in Iran by the Islamic Republic military forces. Minors—defenceless civilians—lost their lives as a result of severe violence. In the course of these events, many children also lost one or both parents and were rendered orphaned.

To date, UNICEF Iran has issued no public statement and no visible protective, investigative, or remedial measures have become known—neither with regard to the children who were killed nor to those who were left behind without parental care.

This silence is deeply concerning.

UNICEF’s mandate is grounded in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in particular:

Article 6 – the right of every child to life,

Article 19 – protection from all forms of violence,

Article 20 – special protection and assistance for children deprived of their family environment.

Against this background, clarification is urgently required on the following points:

1. Why has UNICEF Iran issued no public statement regarding the killing of children on and after 8 January 2026?

2. What information does UNICEF possess concerning the number of children killed and the number of children orphaned as a result of the violence?

3. What concrete measures, if any, have been taken to date?

Of particular urgency is the future of the orphaned children:

a) What support is planned for them, especially with regard to psychosocial care, safe care arrangements, education, and healthcare?

b) How does UNICEF ensure that these children are not placed in state or institutional structures associated with repression or further harm?

c) Who assumes international responsibility where national child-protection mechanisms fail?

I respectfully request that UNICEF Germany:

- Forwards this petition to the competent bodies at UN level and the relevant Committees,

- Advocates for a clear public response by UNICEF Iran,

- Seeks transparency regarding future plans and concrete measures to protect children in Iran, particularly orphaned children.

Children’s rights are universal and non-negotiable. Children who have lost their parents through violence must not also be abandoned through international silence.

Thank you for your attention. I would appreciate a brief acknowledgement of receipt.

Yours sincerely,

Afsaneh Holstein-Tabatabai