The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned of the heavy cost of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that it is depriving children of their lives, childhoods, and futures, and called for the need to listen to their voices and put an end to their suffering.
The UN News Centre reported that the organization, in a report issued today, Friday, stated that nearly 800,000 Palestinian children remain displaced in tents or destroyed buildings, and about 60,000 of them have lost one or both parents since October 2023.
At a press conference held in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pereira said that the repercussions of the war permeate every detail of children's daily lives, including sleeping places, food, education, and the sense of security, warning of the continued risks of malnutrition.
Pereira pointed to reports indicating that more than 340 children have been killed and hundreds others injured due to air raids, drones, and gunfire since the last agreement, stressing the necessity of the continued flow of humanitarian aid and commercial goods.
Winter exacerbates suffering
Pereira explained that children are struggling to survive in harsh conditions with damaged tents, a lack of sanitation facilities, and families crowded into temporary spaces, noting that all six wastewater treatment plants in Gaza remain out of service.
He pointed out that discharging raw sewage directly into the sea affects the coastal strip, and warned of the risks posed by the Sheikh Radwan rainwater collection basin, which has filled to half its capacity.
He said that draining the basin requires equipment entry within two weeks, but Israel has not yet allowed it, posing a direct threat to the lives of children who have previously drowned in polluted waters.
Funding and needs
The spokesperson confirmed that the needs in Gaza are immense and available funding does not meet the required level, with children holding on to hope, stressing that their future requires a genuine ceasefire and full implementation of the peace plan.
Pereira renewed his call for member states to prioritize children and urged Israeli authorities to lift restrictions on the entry of materials and technical equipment needed to rehabilitate infrastructure.
For his part, the Palestinian Ministry of Health warned that malnutrition and starvation rates are reaching catastrophic levels, recording 466 deaths since 2024, with expectations that more than 1.4 million citizens will be affected by the end of 2026.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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