Unicef continues to work in the region to provide aid / Photo: France24
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Thursday about the “devastating situation” faced by children in the Middle East, where violence has reached alarming levels and has claimed “the lives of thousands of children in Palestine, Israel and Lebanon.”
In a statement, the organization said that “children in many countries in the region are living a reality that is harder than ever, shrouded in uncertainty and violence” due to the spread of the current conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Every time an attack occurs, “news come in that children are among the dead,” UNICEF said, referring to ongoing conflicts in Palestine, Israel and Lebanon.
He also warned that the situation could worsen dramatically: “Any escalation of violence in the region will have serious humanitarian consequences and will put the lives and well-being of many more children at risk.”
“Immediate de-escalation is crucial,” UNICEF stressed, urging all parties to the conflict to exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and provide essential services to the population.
UNICEF said it is “continuing its work in the region” in collaboration with partners to provide essential aid and supplies, and reiterated that “what children really need is peace and security, the opportunity for a dignified life, free from deprivation and fear.”
Since the war between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave began ten months ago, 39,699 people have been killed, including more than 14,000 children, while more than 91,700 have been injured in Gaza, according to estimates by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, controlled by the Islamist organisation.
In addition, it is estimated that the bodies of some 10,000 missing people remain buried under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli army attacks.
Cairo / EFE
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2024-08-10 14:19:40
