The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over the dire situation for children in the besieged Gaza Strip, who live in "constant terror due to Israeli bombardment."
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder highlighted the deteriorating conditions, stating, "The situation in Gaza is worsening for children day by day, with the intense heat and families crammed into tents on the sand."
Elder emphasized the severe impact of ongoing restrictions on aid entry, noting that more than 250 days into the conflict, Gazans are struggling to secure food for their children. "Almost 3,000 malnourished children are at risk of dying before their families' eyes in Gaza," he added, expressing concern over the unknown whereabouts of these children who previously received emergency food aid.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) also reported that more than 50,000 children in Gaza require immediate medical treatment for acute malnutrition. The agency stated, “With continued restrictions to humanitarian access, people in Gaza continue to face desperate levels of hunger.”
The conflict has had a catastrophic toll on children, with the Palestinian Ministry of Health estimating that over 14,000 children have been killed during the prolonged Israeli aggression. The overall death toll exceeds 37,300 people, and approximately 1.7 million individuals have been internally displaced, half of them children.
UNRWA further reported that at least 17,000 children in Gaza are unaccompanied or separated from their families due to the ongoing conflict. The devastation has left vast tracts of Gaza in ruins, exacerbated by a blockade that has restricted access to food, clean water, and medicine.
The International Court of Justice has accused Israel of genocide, ordering an immediate halt to its operations in Rafah city, southern Gaza. Despite international calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian relief, the Israeli military operation continues, leaving the people of Gaza in a state of perpetual crisis.
