The collapse of the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip poses a grave and immediate threat to the lives of children, warned Kazim Abu Khalaf, spokesperson for UNICEF in Palestine, during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Speaking through the organization’s official channels, Abu Khalaf highlighted the devastating toll the ongoing war has taken on Gaza’s children. “No other place in the world witnesses such a high number of child casualties each day,” he said, revealing that since October 7, 2023, an average of 27 children have been killed daily. When including those injured, the number jumps to 83 child casualties per day over the past 20 months.
Abu Khalaf also drew attention to the worsening famine in Gaza, stressing that tens of thousands of children are currently in need of urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition. The crisis has left more than 40,000 children orphaned, according to preliminary data, with the figure expected to rise amid continued violence and displacement.
He concluded by stressing the long-term psychological impact on Gaza’s youth, noting that children will need many years of support to recover from the profound physical, emotional, and mental trauma inflicted by the war.
