Shafaq News-Tehran
US and Israeli airstrikes have caused significant casualties and widespread damage to Iran’s education and health sectors since February 28, according to Iranian authorities and international organizations.
Iran’s Education Minister Ali Reza Kazemi said 230 students and teachers have been killed and 177 others wounded since hostilities began. The deadliest single incident occurred on the first day of the conflict, when a missile strike hit the Shajarat al-Tayyiba girls’ primary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing at least 168 people, including more than 100 children aged between seven and 12. While neither Washington nor Tel Aviv has claimed responsibility, The New York Times reported that a US military investigation found the United States was responsible.
Iranian officials estimate that children account for around 30% of total casualties.
Education infrastructure has also been heavily affected. Iranian Ministry of Education and Red Crescent data indicate that between 500 and 600 educational and cultural institutions have been damaged or destroyed across more than 12 provinces.
Authorities have suspended in-person classes nationwide “until further notice,” shifting to online learning. However, the transition has been disrupted by power outages and internet instability, with network efficiency reportedly dropping by up to 98% at times.
UNESCO described attacks on schools as a “serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
At a UN briefing, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban said more than 2,100 children have been killed or injured since the start of the war, including 206 killed in Iran and 118 in Lebanon, alongside four in Israel and one in Kuwait. He added that this represents an average of about 87 children killed or injured daily, warning that the toll is expected to rise.
“Too many homes, schools and hospitals… have been damaged or destroyed,” Chaiban said, noting that already strained health systems are “now buckling” as supply chains are disrupted.
The health sector has also sustained losses. Iran’s Medical Council head Mohammad Raiszadeh said 18 medical workers have been killed in the strikes, while earlier health ministry reports indicated at least 28 others were injured while on duty.
At least 20 hospitals and health centers have also been hit, with nine facilities partially or fully out of service, including Tehran’s Gandhi Hospital, which has ceased operations entirely.
The World Health Organization documented the evacuation of six to seven hospitals due to nearby strikes, including Shahid Motahari Hospital in Tehran. Emergency services have also been affected, with 18 emergency departments destroyed, 25 health centers damaged, and 14 ambulances hit. Around 180 facilities linked to pharmacies, the Red Crescent, and ambulance services have also been targeted or damaged.