UNICEF: One million children in Gaza need water , food, & 650,000 need to return to school

A spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Tice Ingram, stated that over one million children in the Gaza Strip are still in need of water and food, and that thousands of children go to bed hungry every night, despite the ceasefire agreement in place.

Meanwhile, 650,000 children need to return to their schools.

Ingram explained in an interview with Anadolu Agency on Sunday that the ceasefire is “good news” because it stops the daily bombings that were claiming children’s lives, but it “is not enough on its own to end hunger or ensure families have access to safe drinking water.”

On October 10, a ceasefire agreement went into effect in the Gaza Strip. However, the Israeli army continues to commit daily violations, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Palestinians, in addition to maintaining a tight blockade on the territory and restricting aid.

Ingram added: “Families in Gaza continue to struggle daily to survive, the infrastructure that provided water and medical care for children has been severely damaged, making access to these essential services extremely difficult.”

She noted that the amount of aid entering Gaza after the ceasefire increased slightly during the first two weeks, but it “remains completely insufficient.” The quantities that have arrived are still below the levels that entered the territory before the outbreak of the war.

“We need a large and rapid flow of aid, because the risks remain high. Children face the danger of death from malnutrition, cold, or preventable diseases,” Ingram said.

She called on Israeli authorities to open all crossings into Gaza to allow aid to reach the population on a wide scale, noting that many areas are still deprived of effective humanitarian support.

The UNICEF spokesperson emphasized that the ceasefire has not changed the harsh reality of life in Gaza, asking: “Has this ceasefire completely changed children’s lives? No. It has stopped the daily bombings, but it has not restored normal life overnight.”

She pointed out that about 650,000 children need to return to their schools, while water and food must be secured for more than one million children. Thousands of children still go to bed hungry, while others in hospitals suffer from treatable illnesses, but the lack of doctors and medicine leaves them in pain without care.

Ingram concluded that the international community’s failure to use the ceasefire to save children’s lives and prevent their suffering is heartbreaking, calling for global efforts to help Gaza’s children recover from the catastrophe they have endured for two years.

With American and European support, the Israeli army has, since October 7, 2023, committed acts of genocide, blockade, and starvation in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 68,865 Palestinian civilians, the majority children and women, and injuries to 170,670 others, as of today. Thousands of victims remain under rubble or on the streets, inaccessible to rescue teams, with these figures considered preliminary.