When conflicts flare near borders, it is often the most vulnerable who pay the highest price. Recently, tensions between countries sharing a border have led to renewed clashes. These events have deeply worried many, especially those looking out for children.
On July 25, 2025, Ms. June Kunugi, who leads UNICEF operations for East Asia and the Pacific, spoke out. She voiced the agency’s serious concern over the rising violence along this specific border. Reports describe civilians caught in the crossfire, with some injured and others losing their lives. Sadly, this group includes children. The fighting also forced hundreds of schools in the affected areas to close their doors. This leaves young minds without a safe place to learn.
UNICEF has a simple, urgent message for everyone involved: show the utmost restraint. They insist that protecting children must be a top priority. Essential services meant for children, like schools and health clinics, must remain safe and open. International laws, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, demand this protection. Children are never just bystanders; their safety and well-being must always come first. Schools, above all, should be places of peace and learning, not danger.