60,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both of their parents

Geneva - Ofoq News - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced that about 60,000 children in the Gaza Strip lost one or both of their parents during the Israeli war on the Strip, warning of the continuing humanitarian and psychological repercussions of the war on children, in light of displacement, deteriorating living conditions, and the approaching winter.

Ricardo Pires, UNICEF communications officer and deputy spokesman, said during a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva that about 800,000 children are still displaced, most of whom live in tents or damaged and unsafe buildings, while almost all children need some form of mental health support to help them recover from the effects of war.

Peres added that more than 340 children have been killed and hundreds of others injured in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire was announced more than a year ago, noting that the continued harsh living conditions, lack of sanitation services, and overcrowding in areas of displacement increase the risks facing children and their families.

On the other hand, the UN official indicated that the ceasefire allowed for an increase in the entry of humanitarian aid and commercial supplies into the sector, which contributed to improving food security, pointing to the return of more than 560,000 children to education, including children receiving their lessons in more than 200 educational centers supported by UNICEF.

Peres warned that the deterioration of sanitation services poses an additional risk to the population, explaining that the six wastewater treatment plants in Gaza are still out of service, leading to most of the untreated wastewater being pumped directly into the sea.

He also warned of the dangers of the rainwater collection basin in the Sheikh Radwan area becoming full as the winter season approaches, warning of the possibility of polluted water overflowing and submerging residential areas, in light of not allowing the entry of equipment needed to drain the water.

The UN official called on all parties to adhere to the ceasefire and UN Security Council Resolution No. 2803, and to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law, stressing that the recovery of Gaza’s children requires providing adequate shelter, health care, education, and safe spaces to play, allowing them to restore their normal lives.