According to the United Nations, around 17,000 children in Gaza have been separated from their families due to the ongoing conflict. This is a significant number, representing roughly 1% of the total population displaced by the conflict.
In the Gaza Strip, the United Nations (UN) estimates that around 17,000 children are currently without their parents or separated from them after nearly four months of conflict. This makes up 1 percent of the displaced population, 1.7 million people. The UN children’s agency UNICEF expressed deep concern over the heartbreaking stories of loss and grief among these children.
Jonathan Crickx is UNICEF’s spokesperson in the Palestinian territories. He explained that identifying these children is challenging because they might arrive at hospitals injured or in shock, unable to provide their names. Unlike in other conflicts, where extended families often take care of orphaned children. The situation in Gaza is complicated by a lack of essential resources like food, water, and shelter. Extended families are themselves struggling to meet their basic needs, making it difficult to care for additional children immediately.
The ongoing conflict has severely impacted the mental health of children in Gaza. With symptoms including high levels of persistent anxiety, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, emotional outbursts, and panic triggered by bombings. Before the conflict, UNICEF estimated that over 500,000 children in Gaza needed mental health support. Now, the organization believes that almost all children, more than one million, require such assistance.
A Sad Number For Upcoming Generation
Crickx called attention to the fact that children are innocent victims of the conflict and emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire. A pause in hostilities would allow UNICEF to accurately count the number of unaccompanied or separated children, and locate their relatives. They will also provide essential mental health support to alleviate the suffering caused by the violence.
Also See: Protests in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan Over Soaring Wheat Prices
The situation for children in Gaza is especially dire, as they are particularly vulnerable to the physical and psychological effects of violence. Many children have lost loved ones, witnessed traumatic events, and been displaced from their homes. This can lead to long-term consequences for their mental and emotional well-being.