GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Palestine, Kazem Abu Khalaf, confirmed that the collapse of the healthcare sector poses a serious threat to the lives of children in the Gaza Strip. He explained that the daily average number of children killed since October 7, 2023, has reached 27.
According to the official website of the organization, Abu Khalaf stated in a press briefing on Wednesday that Gaza children are facing immense challenges due to the ongoing war, stressing that there is no other place in the world where children are killed in such numbers on a daily basis.
He pointed out that when the number of injured children is included, the daily average of child casualties—both killed and wounded—rises to 83 over a span of 20 months.
He explained that children are the most affected by the famine afflicting the region, noting that tens of thousands of children have been recorded as in need of treatment for severe malnutrition.
Abu Khalaf added that preliminary statistics indicate that more than 40,000 children have become orphans, and the number is expected to rise. He emphasized that children in Gaza will need many years to recover—not only from physical injuries but also from the psychological and emotional trauma they have endured.
Since March 2, Israel has continued its policy of systematic starvation of around 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza by closing crossings to the humanitarian aid piled up at the borders, pushing the Strip into famine and resulting in many deaths.
With unwavering US support, Israel has, since October 7, 2023, committed acts of genocide in Gaza, leaving over 179,000 Palestinians killed or injured—most of them children and women—and more than 11,000 missing, along with hundreds of thousands displaced.
