In a statement posted on social media, UNESCO expressed deep alarm at the impact of the military attacks, which continued until Sunday, noting that students at a place dedicated to learning are protected by international humanitarian law and that “attacks on educational institutions endanger students and teachers and undermine the right to education.”
UNESCO joined a number of bodies from across the United Nations system and senior officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres, in condemning the military strikes, as well as Iran’s retaliatory attacks that affected several Middle Eastern countries.
Malala “heartbroken and dismayed” by the strike
United Nations Messenger of Peace and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai announced that she was heartbroken and shocked by the school bombing.
Malala Yousafzai at the United Nations (file)
“The killing of civilians, especially children, is unacceptable and I condemn it unequivocally,” he said in a social media post, calling for an end to the escalating violence across the region and for justice and accountability.
“All states and parties must fulfill their obligations under international law to protect civilians and safeguard schools,” he wrote. “All children deserve 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.