UNICEF: More than 340 children killed in Gaza since ceasefire announcement

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Friday that more than 340 children have been killed and hundreds others injured in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire was declared over a year ago, warning of continued child casualties and worsening humanitarian and living conditions in the territory.

Ricardo Perez, the acting spokesperson for the organization, said during a media briefing in Geneva that the past two weeks saw the deaths of seven children and injuries to at least 33 others from Israeli military airstrikes, drone attacks, and gunfire, while two other boys died from previous injuries.

Perez added that a new report issued by UNICEF today, titled “The Heavy Human Cost of War on Children,” showed that approximately 800,000 children remain displaced in the Gaza Strip, living in harsh humanitarian conditions amid a severe shortage of shelter and basic services.

He noted that the number of children who have lost one or both parents is estimated at around 60,000, adding that the majority of children in Gaza require some form of psychosocial support to recover from the war’s effects.

In response to a question from the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) regarding the potential repercussions of the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) decision to ban the entry of commercial goods into Gaza’s markets, Perez warned that continued restrictions on the entry of supplies would exacerbate the suffering of children and families.

He stressed the urgent need to ensure a steady flow of commercial goods and humanitarian aid into the Strip, and to prevent the population from being deprived of their basic needs and rights.

He pointed out that the ceasefire had allowed for the entry of larger quantities of humanitarian aid and commercial supplies, contributing to a limited improvement in children’s food security levels. However, the war’s repercussions continue to cast a shadow on various aspects of their daily lives, including shelter, food, education, security, and healthcare.

Regarding education, Perez said that more than 560,000 children have returned to learning since the ceasefire took effect, including children receiving education in more than 200 UNICEF-supported learning centers.

He added that the organization has provided digital cash assistance to more than 380,000 people this year, continues to provide safe water to over one million people, and is engaged in solid waste removal and the delivery of medical supplies.

Conversely, Perez warned of the dangerous consequences of the collapse of infrastructure and sewage networks in the Gaza Strip, noting that all six wastewater treatment plants in the territory remain out of service, leading to the direct discharge of most untreated wastewater into the sea, which poses a threat to public health and the environment.

He also highlighted increasing risks of sewage flooding as the winter rainy season approaches, particularly in the Sheikh Radwan stormwater drainage basin, which has reached about half of its storage capacity. He warned that any overflow of contaminated water from the basin could endanger the lives of children and families in residential areas downstream.

Perez stated that emptying the basin could be accomplished within two weeks, but Israeli authorities continue to block the entry of the necessary equipment to carry out this work.

He called for compliance with the ceasefire agreement and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, and for the fulfillment of obligations stipulated under international humanitarian law.