The silent price of the war in Iran: millions of children may be left without a future

The impact of the war in Iran on education systems around the world is not as visible as the mass school closures experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the conflict in the Middle East is taking an indirect and heavy toll, hitting the world's poorest children first.

In Kampong Phrahok, Cambodia, 13-year-old So Sreynich dreams of becoming a teacher, but she knows the gap between her and her peers is vast. Sreynich first entered a classroom only at the age of 10, an age when most children in the area have already been in educational settings for years. Her mother had to wait until her daughter was old enough to learn to swim, out of a daily fear that the boat taking her to school would capsize. This is a familiar dilemma for many parents living around Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.

Now, a surge in fuel prices as a result of the war in Iran is adding an impossible economic burden on families in the area. Unlike the clear closure of educational institutions known in the past, the impact of the current war on education is quiet and less publicized, but it falls first and foremost on the weakest segments of the population. Rising fuel costs significantly increase the cost of getting to school for children and teachers, while simultaneously making it difficult for governments in developing countries to fund their education systems as national budgets are eroded.

According to an investigation by the AP news agency, getting to school on Tonle Sap Lake has always involved dangerous daily navigation on the water. Climate change is making this task even more difficult, with unpredictable floods and droughts. Teachers at Sreynich's school testify that over the years, ten students have drowned on their way to school.

The great fear now is for the future. If the war continues, it could push up to 23.4 million more children into extreme poverty by the end of the current year, according to a new report by UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund). About 80% of these children live on the continents of Africa and Asia.

The organization "Save the Children" also warns that the war has devastating global consequences that extend far beyond the borders of the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime trade route, has been blocked for many long months, causing severe delays and an unprecedented increase in the price of basic goods such as food, fuel, fertilizers, and medicines. For families already dealing with food insecurity, this price increase could literally be the difference between life and death. The surge in fertilizer and fuel costs also threatens agricultural production and food exports, which could push millions more children into hunger, especially in countries that are almost entirely dependent on imports.

While news broadcasts focus on the geopolitics of the Middle East and the turmoil in financial markets, the real and silent price of the war is being paid by the world's poorest children, as their parents are forced every morning to choose between their children's future and basic family survival.