At least 17,000 children in the Gaza Strip are unaccompanied or separated from their families, according to estimates by UNICEF, the U.N. children’s fund.
UNICEF has described Gaza as the “most dangerous place in the world to be a child,” saying that Israel’s war against Hamas has turned the enclave into “a graveyard for thousands of children.” Amid a deepening humanitarian crisis and warnings about the imminent risk of famine, UNICEF has said that many children are malnourished and sick.
A spokesperson for the agency, Jonathan Crickx, said Friday that the number of unaccompanied children — “each one a heartbreaking story of loss and grief” — was an estimate, since the current security and humanitarian conditions made it nearly impossible to fully verify.
“Behind each of these statistics is a child who is coming to terms with this horrible new reality,” he added in a statement following a trip to Gaza.
In a conflict, members of an extended family often take in children who have been separated from their parents, including those who have been orphaned, he noted. But shortages of food, water and shelter in Gaza have made it so that the extended families of unaccompanied children are often “struggling to cater for their own children” and unable to care for another, he added.
Children account for about 40% of the 27,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to authorities in Gaza and international organizations.
@BaboonMayaGreen3mos3MO
When we supply weapons and follow it up with "We're not drawing red lines for Israel” this is what that looks like.
History will not be kind to those who stood by silently and allowed this horrendous atrocity to happen. As has been pointed out by a multitude of international lawyers and experts, Israeli has, and is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, at an unbelievable scale.The American government and politicians who support these actions, are complicit, and one can only hope that one day they will pay for their actions.
@BaboonMayaGreen3mos3MO
The absurdity of Israel's strategy is made plain here... there's no better way to create a generation of new terrorists than to rip apart families by killing their young. Without a doubt Hamas has many new willing recruits from people who never would have considered it before.
@VersatileCabinetNo Labels3mos3MO
This is why Hamas exists: the children who survive will grow up swearing revenge on Israel and vow to become “freedom fighters” to channel their rage, sorrow and trauma. Connect the dots, people.
@RightLouPeace and Freedom3mos3MO
This is sickening and heartbreaking to read. We need to bear witness to what is happening in Gaza. Israel is behaving as though it has special, unique status in the world and can bomb hospitals and schools without consequence. The U.S. should not be supporting this.
@S0v3reignEdSocialist3mos3MO
This is so emotionally devastating. It has to stop. Now. I am a pediatrician and picture not only my own two small kids, but my patients, in this situation. Those who survive will absolutely never be the same again. There is no excuse for these atrocities against the most vulnerable and innocent of us.
Killing thousands upon thousands of innocent children (and women and men), bombing schools, bakeries, hospitals and mosques, displacing 1.5 million inhabitants (out of 2.3) and rendering them homeless, imposing still a near total siege (no water, no food, no medicine) and all this with billions of dollars in US weapons and all these horrors broadcast live to the whole world. And the US administration still stridently opposes a ceasefire. The only word that comes to mind is BARBARIC.
@XtraordinaryBoarsVeteran3mos3MO
This is not self defense. This is vengeance.
And with each passing day, it appears that annihilation of Hamas is not the only goal. Now, the IDF is now moving into southern Gaza, where Palestinians in the northern part of the strip were told to flee. Millions of civilians, who are now "kettled" in the south, will be subjected to airstrikes and bombings that, given the death toll and these images, have no intention of sparing them (and it looks more and more like that is by design)
We, the US public, are complicit in this brutality, as our government provided implicit and explicit sup… Read more
@9JR3TMH3mos3MO
Cease fire now. Genocidal freaks.
@9JQYNC73mos3MO
The US government should stop funding genocide.
@9JQYKLCRepublican3mos3MO
No one cares about the people in Gaza, we need more support for them. There isn't a war in Gaza, it's a genocide.
@9FV7NK5 3mos3MO
I feel we need serious intervention to stop this war path in its tracks, To force both sides to the negotiation table and establishing long lasting borders. We need to stop allowing these countries to continue attacking each other needlessly,
@9JQS7BL3mos3MO
Children don't deserve what they're going through.
@9JQT8JR3mos3MO
Something should be done to help them.
More relief should go to Gaza. The United States and other first-world countries should be doing more to stop the ethnic and cultural cleansing of Palestinians.
@9JQTD463mos3MO
Israel is being allowed to genocide Palestinians with impunity.
The people deserve better and it is a severe crisis.
@9JPXWX23mos3MO
I feel that we spend so much time fighting that those caught in the crossfire who are left to try and recover end up being hurt but if we actually took time to solve problems like these it would easily be solved but instead most of these problems are just ignored cause they don't provide wealth to our leaders.
It is saddening to see families be attacked, leaving many children without patents. I believe this war should be stopped, as many innocent people are dying and not necessarily changing this place for the better.
we need to help the children that are is gaza with no shelter injured and cater to their needs and do everything we can to help
@9JQDSRXWomen’s Equality3mos3MO
I think that the children need a parent and or guardian to protect them they are innocent.
@9JPYW5F3mos3MO
Gaza is in an unfair Genocide. Free Palestine.
@9JPWDZJ3mos3MO
I think that we should rescue them, and give them a home.
It's very sad what is happening but I think the US isn't getting too much involved because they want to keep the people in America safe from harm.
@9JQM9893mos3MO
Certain people are innocent and while caught in the cross fire the goal is being acomplished
@9JQKC3C 3mos3MO
Palestine situation is horrible and must be discussed and resolved
@9JQGRQDIndependent3mos3MO
save Palestine and save the children of it.
@9JPYGJJ3mos3MO
I think what is happening in Gaza is terrible and it is genocide, but if the untied states were to go against Israel they would have no allies in the middle east, we would also lose many things like gas and other materials.
@9JQ88QRPeace and Freedom3mos3MO
This absolutely horrible and I am disgusted that those innocent children has to go though. Being killed for nooo absolute reason. Being misplaced from their own parents when they did not do anything wrong.
@9JQ3XXJ3mos3MO
president biden is held responsible for aiding israel with weapons and military aid to kill innocent children and people in gaza. The US is held accountable for their actions and Israel should be charged greatly for genocide.
@9JQNR2K3mos3MO
I think that Its important to know that there is two sides to the story and that there are victims in both.
@9JQCTBS3mos3MO
The children should have some type of support and not be left alone those children can have a huge impact on society all lives matter and have a unique talent it important to consider
@9JQ25YR3mos3MO
Those people, and those children do not deserve what they're going through.
@9JPYTZJ3mos3MO
i think that israel needs so stop
i belive that this issue needs to be resolved
@9JQM8M93mos3MO
I feel that if we are in the position to help anyone we should.
@9JQCPD2Peace and Freedom3mos3MO
My opinion on this news topic is US should encourage Israel to cease the war as soon as possible because they suffered a lot of families and little children.
@9JQ4XQRRepublican3mos3MO
I think that Palestine needs its own Autonomy
@9JQ4XQRRepublican3mos3MO
Palestine needs independence and autonomy from Apartheid Israel
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