UNICEF said on Friday that more than 340 children have been reported killed and hundreds more injured in Gaza since the ceasefire announced between Israel and Hamas fighters a little over one year ago. The agency’s statement underscores the continuing security and humanitarian risks despite the truce. UN News reported the UNICEF figures.
In the previous two weeks alone, UNICEF said five boys and two girls were reported killed, while at least 33 children were seriously injured in airstrikes, drone strikes and gunfire across the Gaza Strip. Two other boys died from injuries sustained earlier, according to UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires.
UNICEF said 800,000 children remain displaced, with most living in tents or damaged buildings. It estimated that 60,000 children have lost one or both parents during the war or since the ceasefire, and said nearly every child needs mental-health support.
The agency also warned that winter rains could worsen Gaza’s sanitation crisis. Damaged drainage infrastructure has left large pools of wastewater, including at the Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin in Gaza City, raising concerns that contaminated water could flood residential areas.
UNICEF said more than 560,000 children have returned to learning since the ceasefire, including at more than 200 UNICEF-supported centres. It also reported providing digital cash assistance to more than 380,000 people and safe water to 1.2 million.
The warning follows an earlier UN-backed assessment that identified famine conditions in parts of Gaza. UN News reported in August that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification had found more than half a million people trapped in famine, with UN agencies calling for expanded humanitarian access.