Children in Gaza need life-saving support
The escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip is having a catastrophic impact on children and families. Children are dying at an alarming rate – more than 14,000 have reportedly been killed , according to the latest estimate by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and thousands more have been injured. Around 1.7 million people in the Gaza Strip…, What is UNICEF calling for? , UNICEF continues to press world leaders on every occasion for humanitarian access to the whole of Gaza. To respond to the situation for children in Israel and the State of Palestine, UNICEF is calling for: An immediate and long-lasting humanitarian ceasefire. Safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to and within the Gaza Strip to reach…, Recent news and updates, What's happening in Gaza?, Even before the current crisis, children in the State of Palestine had grown up under the shadow of recurrent violence and crushing poverty. Now, children in the Gaza Strip face the deadly effects of disease and malnutrition as escalating hostilities cut them off from safe water, food and medicine. For the 600,000 children – roughly half of the…, Families are under attack, Children and their families have come under attack in the places they should be safest – their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship. Since the escalation, thousands of children have been injured and killed. Children have been reporting to hospitals with severe burns, injuries that required amputation and have left open wounds and other…, The threat of disease is soaring, Water production capacity has plummeted to just a fraction of its normal output with many water, sanitation and hygiene facilities damaged or destroyed. People have lost reliable access to safe water, toilets and washing facilities and displaced children and their families are unable to maintain hygiene levels needed to prevent disease and chronic…, Access to nutritious food has plummeted, Malnutrition among children is spreading fast and reaching devastating and unprecedented levels in the Gaza Strip. For many families, the threat of dying from hunger is already real. The violence has also shut down lifesaving prevention and treatment services for malnutrition that were previously reaching hundreds of thousands of children. When…, How is UNICEF supporting children in Gaza?, State of Palestine. a small child stands next to a UNICEF tent at a shelter centre in the Gaza Strip. UNICEF continues to focus on the critical needs of children for protection and humanitarian assistance – but access remains difficult and dangerous. UNICEF staff, along with our United Nations and civil society partners, remain in Gaza but must be…, UNICEF is on the ground in Gaza working with partners in these areas: , Displacement, Around 1.7 million people in the Gaza Strip are estimated to have been internally displaced – half of them children. Families that have survived the fighting are being pushed into overcrowded areas, living on roads, in the streets, under construction buildings or wherever else they can find space. UNICEF is providing tents, tarpaulins, blankets…, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), The resumption of the hostilities, coupled with a lack of power supply, fuel shortages, restricted access, and massive damage to infrastructure means that many WASH facilities are no longer functioning properly. People have lost reliable access to safe water, toilets and washing facilities. The impact on children is severe, as they are more…, Health, Health facilities are buckling under the sheer number of casualties. Many hospitals have sustained damage and are operating at three times their capacity even as they face critical shortages of basic supplies and fuel. Primary health care services are limited and immunization services have been disrupted. UNICEF is delivering medical supplies to…, Nutrition, Gaza’s children are vulnerable to the growing malnutrition crisis, especially those in the north of the Gaza Strip. Without enough nutritious food, people will quickly become malnourished. Most families say their children are only getting grains – including bread – or milk, meeting the definition of ‘severe food poverty.’ Dietary diversity for…, Child protection, The conflict is having a profound impact on children psychologically. Children are being exposed to horrors that no child should have to witness and they are experiencing anxiety, fear and nightmares. Thousands are unaccompanied or separated from their parents. UNICEF programmes are focused on helping children to process their thoughts, feelings,…, Education, None of Gaza’s 625,000 students have had safe access to education since 7 October. Around 90 per cent of all school buildings in Gaza are being used as shelters for internally-displaced persons/or have sustained varying levels of damage. At least two-thirds of schools in Gaza will either need full reconstruction or major rehabilitation work to be…, Social protection, UNICEF provides humanitarian cash transfers to thousands of families and children to enable them to buy essential items like food, water, and hygiene products that are still available despite shortages and the fragility of the situation. For more on UNICEF's humanitarian response, access the latest State of Palestine situation reports ., Support UNICEF’s work for children in crises, What challenges does UNICEF face delivering support?, Gaza Strip. People walk past destroyed buildings in the centre of Gaza City. People walk past destroyed buildings in the centre of Gaza City. UNICEF remains on the ground, working with partners to provide supplies and support for children and families. But aid is not reaching every child in urgent need. Day after day, UNICEF and partners face…, Learn more about aid delivery in Gaza, The ongoing conflict means that it’s incredibly difficult to move safely across the Gaza Strip and to gain access to children in need. Humanitarian workers face the same risks and challenges as the broader population: they have lost family members, friends, and have also been forced to relocate to safety. Meanwhile, there aren’t enough trucks and…, Is UNICEF operational in Israel?, In high-income countries such as Israel, Governments generally have adequate capacity to respond to emergencies. Upon request from the Government, UNICEF can extend support, such as mental health and psychosocial support for children. In over 30 countries where UNICEF does not perform programmatic activities, National Committees for UNICEF serve…
