UNICEF: One million children in Gaza live through daily horrors

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a report on Sunday that it described as a “shocking assessment” of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, confirming that more than one million children are facing “daily horrors” in the most dangerous place in the world for children.

Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said the organization is scaling up its response to address the growing threat of famine in the Strip. He called for the “immediate opening of all crossings” to ensure the unrestricted flow of aid, in light of what he described as “catastrophic realities” about the suffering of children.

In a series of urgent statements, UNICEF emphasized that the recent ceasefire provided a vital opportunity for children’s survival, but warned that current humanitarian aid is “far from meeting actual needs,” given the widespread destruction caused by Israeli military operations.

According to the organization’s data, more than 64,000 children have been killed or injured since the beginning of the war, while more than 58,000 have lost a parent. One million children are living in conditions described as “inhumane,” amid severe shortages of food, water, and healthcare.

The organization added that “words and numbers cannot express the extent of the suffering,” stressing that the effects of the war will extend for generations to come.