UNICEF Director Warns of Dire Situation for Palestinian Children Amid Conflict.
Gaza:
UNICEF’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Director, Edouard Beigbeder, has issued a grave statement following a four-day mission to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, highlighting the worsening plight of Palestinian children. The situation in these regions, he said, remains extremely concerning, with nearly all of the 2.4 million children living across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, facing devastating impacts from the ongoing conflict.
Beigbeder described how Palestinian children continue to bear the brunt of the violence and deprivation, often living in constant fear and facing severe challenges in accessing essential supplies and services. “Some children live with tremendous fear or anxiety; others face the real consequences of deprivation of humanitarian assistance, displacement, destruction, or even death,” Beigbeder noted. “All children must be protected.”
A significant concern raised by UNICEF is the dire situation in Gaza, where approximately 1 million children are living without the most basic needs. Despite the availability of critical supplies, including over 180,000 doses of routine childhood vaccines and 20 life-saving ventilators for neonatal intensive care units, these supplies remain stuck just a few dozen kilometers outside the Gaza Strip. Beigbeder emphasized that these medical supplies could protect thousands of children, but the ongoing blockade has prevented their entry into Gaza.
“While UNICEF has managed to deliver 30 CPAP respiratory machines to aid newborns suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome, the ventilators remain essential for those requiring advanced care. Tragically, around 4,000 newborns are currently unable to access life-saving treatment due to the devastation of medical facilities in Gaza,” he said. “Every day without these ventilators costs lives, especially among vulnerable premature newborns.”
Beigbeder called for the immediate facilitation of aid entry into Gaza, stressing that humanitarian assistance should not be delayed further, regardless of the ceasefire status. “In accordance with international humanitarian law, civilians’ essential needs must be met,” he asserted. “The continued delays in aid entry risk further shutting down critical services and reversing any progress made during the brief ceasefire.”
The UNICEF Regional Director also addressed the worsening water crisis in Gaza, citing a UNICEF-supported desalination plant in Khan Younis that has been disconnected from power since November 2024, now operating at only 13% capacity. This has left hundreds of thousands of people without access to clean water and sanitation.
In the West Bank, Beigbeder highlighted the increasing violence, with more than 200 Palestinian children and three Israeli children killed since October 2023—marking the highest child death toll in two decades. Over 35,000 people in Jenin and northern West Bank have been displaced, with nearly 12,000 children facing severe disruption to their education.
Beigbeder visited displaced families in Jenin, where mothers and children expressed their suffering from ongoing violence and the disruption of their education. “They were not asking for charity, just for the respect of their rights and the possibility to return to their homes,” he said.
UNICEF continues to support children in Palestine by repairing water systems, providing mental health services, setting up learning centers, and advocating for humanitarian access. However, Beigbeder emphasized that more action is needed. “Children must not be killed, injured, or displaced. All parties must respect international law and allow humanitarian assistance to flow freely,” he urged.
The UNICEF director called for the swift release of hostages, a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, and a resolution to the conflict that prioritizes the safety and rights of children. “Tens of thousands of children have already been killed and injured. We cannot afford to let this number grow further,” Beigbeder concluded.
