The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has released a new report detailing the devastating impact that the Israeli war in Gaza has had on children in the region.
They estimate that around 17.000 children are unaccompanied or separated from their parents and guardians, while the IRC believes that this number could be three times higher (51.000).
Frequent Israeli evacuation orders, detentions, and attacks have contributed to the separation of more families in Gaza in recent months. Some children have been found living alone in hospitals, according to the report.
The IRC states that unaccompanied children and those separated from their parents face high risks of child labor, exploitation, neglect, starvation, and long-term mental health effects.
IRC teams in Gaza are reporting increased rates of severe and acute malnutrition in children under the age of five.
Children in Gaza have now missed a year of schooling due to the collapse of the education system and the destruction of school buildings caused by Israeli bombing, the report said.
Bart Witteveen, the IRC’s Country Director for the occupied Palestinian territory, stated that children bear the greatest burden of this war.
“Children in Gaza can no longer wait. Prolonged restrictions on humanitarian aid and the continuation of the fighting mean that a generation of children will now face lifelong health and developmental issues,” he said.
