WANA (Jul 17) – Amid the clamor of the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, and in the shadow of the sensational news of missile strikes, defensive responses, and military operations, what was less seen was the human and social dimension of this conflict—where the lives of defenseless infants were saved from a disaster, with only a few minutes’ difference.

 

One of the most important scenes in this silent narrative took place at Ameneh Orphanage—a center that, for years, has been a refuge for infants, parentless or those under incompetent or harmful guardianship, on Valiasr Street in Tehran, and now, its name has become etched in memory through the courage and sacrifice of its caregivers.

 

Hours before the first wave of Israel’s attack on District 3 of Tehran began, the caregivers at Ameneh Orphanage—having become aware of the potential threat of attack—made a vital decision.

 

In a short but decisive window of time, they evacuated more than 60 infants from the orphanage and transferred them to a safe location. Just half an hour later, buildings around the center, including the national police command headquarters, were targeted by enemy attacks.

Ameneh Orphanage. Social media/ WANA News Agency

One of the caregivers at the center recounts:

 

“The coworkers were really under a lot of pressure… they were worried about their own kids, about their families, but none of them left the babies alone. Two of our caretakers had heart conditions, yet they stood by the infants. I remember my mind was constantly preoccupied… what if one baby was left behind? What if I hadn’t heard the cry of a baby?”

 

The buildings surrounding Ameneh Orphanage were struck by missiles twice during the war. If the infants had not been evacuated, they would have been harmed. This center, with 57 years of history, has been the first shelter for many infants deprived of parental care at the beginning of life.

 

Hassan Mousavi Chelak, Deputy for Social Health at the Welfare Organization, says of these tense days:

 

“From the very first day of the war, our biggest concern was the care centers for our beneficiaries. More than 500,000 people are under the support of the Welfare Organization—from orphanages to eldercare centers, rehabilitation facilities, addiction treatment, and foster homes. But children were our priority. That’s why we decided to evacuate Ameneh Orphanage before anything happened—even before the sensitive FARJA (The Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran) building next to it was attacked.”

 

Evacuating infants from an orphanage is not an easy operation. But according to Mousavi Chelak, the caregivers, with skill and dedication, were able to save dozens of children in a short time. Had this action not been taken, in his words, “there’s no telling what kind of human disaster would have occurred.”

Ameneh Orphanage. Social media/ WANA News Agency

But the story does not end there. In a broader initiative, the Welfare Organization quickly accelerated the process of child placement. As part of this process, 20 children were handed over to families who had completed the legal adoption procedures.

 

Additionally, 175 other children, using a protocol that had been developed two years earlier, were temporarily placed with host families so that the care centers could be fully evacuated.

 

However, Ameneh Orphanage was not the only facility affected by this brutal war. Israeli attacks also targeted other service and support centers in Iran.

 

For example, during the attack on the area housing the Red Crescent, the Welfare Office of Shemiranat, located on Shahid Yasemi Street, suffered damage to part of the building. Fortunately, at the time of the attack, no staff were present, and there were no human casualties.

 

Another affected center was the Welfare Office of Tehran City in Pich-e-Shemiran, which sustained serious damage following a nearby attack.

 

But in Qasr-e Shirin, the situation was even more tragic. On the very first day of the war, the newly constructed building of the Welfare Office in that city was completely destroyed.

 

In that incident, one staff member of the Welfare Organization was killed, and another was injured. This occurred despite Article 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which explicitly prohibits any attack on health and social service centers.

 

In response to this clear violation of international law, the Welfare Organization of Iran has filed an official complaint with the United Nations, seeking to defend the rights of its beneficiaries and the social service workers active in these centers.

 

These are only a portion of the damages inflicted on Iran’s vast social service network during the 12-day war—a war that may have ended, but whose deep human and social wounds will remain for a long time.

Israeli Drone Strikes Hakim Children’s Hospital in Tehran on June 14, 2025. Social media/ WANA News Agency