Some 11,000 children have had their lives disrupted by injuries, many of which require long-term rehabilitation and mental health support, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Global Protection Cluster, and the Child Protection Area of ​​Responsibility warned in a joint statement.

They emphasized that some 658,000 children are not attending school due to the level of destruction caused by the war, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 70,000 people in the coastal enclave.

The statement stressed that almost all children living in the territory need mental health and psychological support.

They continue to face extreme protection risks after two years of conflict because they “are exposed to relentless violence, repeated displacement, and severe deprivation,” it underscored.

The statement highlighted that nearly all experienced psychological problems, distress, and disrupted access to safety, education, and healthcare. It also criticized family separations and the exploitation of child labor in Gaza.

“The risks are even greater for children with disabilities, adolescents, and girls,” it lamented. jdt/jav/lam/rob