On average, almost two children have been killed every day in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip since the start of the ceasefire, UNICEF warned today, saying the violence has not stopped despite an agreement aimed at halting the killings.
UNICEF spokesman Ricardo Pires said that "Since 11 October, while the ceasefire has been in force, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip and dozens more have been injured."
He said this equates to "an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire came into effect and the agreement that the killings would finally stop was reached." Pires stresses that behind every figure is a child whose life was violently ended, reiterating that these are not just statistics.
According to him, UNICEF teams are witnessing on the ground, children sleeping outside with amputees and others orphaned and trembling with fear as they survive in flooded and makeshift shelters stripped of dignity.
"I saw this firsthand when I was last there in August. The reality imposed on Gaza remains brutally simple. There is no safe place for them and the world cannot continue to normalize their suffering," he stresses.
Despite expanding its operations, UNICEF says its efforts remain insufficient. It said the UN agency "could do much more if the help that is truly needed came faster."
Warning of winter conditions and the increased risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children living in shelters, Pires warned that the risks are incredibly high as the new season is a threat multiplier.
"Children have no heating, no insulation and very few blankets," he said, adding that "Respiratory infections are on the rise while contaminated water is fueling the spread of diarrhea."
Pires further points out that "children continue to climb over the broken rubble barefoot."
"Many children have already paid the highest price, many more are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them that (the war) would stop and we would protect them," he said, encouraging that "Now we must act accordingly." /Trt Balkan/
