The escalating violence across parts of the Middle East is claiming civilian casualties, displacing communities, destroying infrastructure and driving widespread environmental damage. This statement was issued by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on environmental damage arising from the conflict in the Middle East. "Strikes on oil facilities, including those occurring close to and within urban areas such as Tehran, have been confirmed via remote sensing methods. UNEP's Executive Director, Inger Andersen, said heavy smoke from burning oil, which includes hazardous compounds is now being directly inhaled by people in Iran including young children raising serious concerns about long-term impacts on both human and environmental health. She stated that experience from other confli