The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a grave warning regarding the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the severe toll on children due to renewed Israeli airstrikes and a comprehensive blockade on aid.
Photo: UNICEF, Mohammad Ajjour
The already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza has grown even worse following the collapse of a brief ceasefire. On March 18, Israeli forces resumed large-scale military operations, ending a two-month truce. Since the war began, over 50,000 Palestinians have lost their lives but critics highlight the number could be way higher.
Rosalia Bollen, a UNICEF representative stationed in Gaza, reported via UN News that hundreds of children have been killed or injured, with many suffering from severe burns, shrapnel wounds, fractures, and amputations. She stated:
“Even on March 18, amidst intense bombing, children held onto hope that it might be a one-off event, but the attacks persist—airstrikes, tank shelling, shootings, and displacement orders continue unabated. Families are being uprooted repeatedly, forced to move from one precarious situation to another.”
The restrictions on aid is making the situation even more difficult. Gaza’s 2.2 million residents now rely almost entirely on international aid to meet their basic needs. Aid agencies, often the only remaining lifeline, are struggling to operate under the weight of intensifying violence and access restrictions.
The situation has been further exacerbated by Israel’s suspension of the Humanitarian Notification Service (HNS) in Gaza, a system designed to protect aid workers by coordinating their movements with Israeli authorities.