Warning that children’s sense of stability and security has been eroded by the collapse of key daily services, humanitarians insist young Gazans will need “sustained, long-term efforts to recover”.
According to child safety partner assessments conducted in September and shared by the UN Office for Aid Coordination (OCHA), 93 percent demonstrated aggressive behavior and 90 percent were violent towards young children.
Sadness and withdrawal are almost as common (86 percent), as are trouble sleeping (79 percent) and general refusal to study (69 percent).
Everyday violence
Although a fragile ceasefire holds, deadly violence and insecurity have not completely stopped, with Israeli military strikes near or east of the “Yellow Line.”
This is where the Israeli army remains deployed, representing more than 50 percent of the Gaza Strip, OCHA said.
In an update, the UN humanitarian office noted that access to the sea remains prohibited; it also cites reports that Palestinian fishermen continue to be detained at sea by Israeli forces.
“In areas beyond the “Yellow Line”…daily detonations of residential buildings continue to be reported and access to humanitarian resources, public infrastructure and agricultural land remains restricted, if not completely prohibited.”, says the OCHA update.
One million still homeless
Of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents, around one million now live in 862 displacement sites.
More than half of these sites are in the southernmost area of Khan Younis, 264 in Deir al Balah, 180 in Gaza and northern Gaza governorates and eight in Rafah.
Many camps are overcrowded, increasing dangers for girls and children, particularly those with disabilities who are exposed to violence, neglect and unsafe access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.
The United Nations relief agency for Palestine, UNRWA, said around 75,000 people live in around 100 of its designated shelters and surrounding areas.
Growing anxiety
UN humanitarian partners helping young people report they are experiencing increased anxiety, changes in behavior and growing concern over the continued lack of safe spaces.
In the four weeks since an agreed pause in fighting, humanitarian partners have provided child protection services to more than 132,000 people in the Gaza Strip. This includes almost 1,600 children with disabilities and 45,000 caregivers, OCHA said.
Assistance included individual psychological consultations, group sessions, stress management activities, recreational psychosocial support, and referrals for further help.
The goal is to reach more than 100,000 children every month to meet the needs of nearly a million children in the Gaza Strip.
This development comes as Israeli authorities announce the reopening of the Zikim crossing after an eight-week closure.
The crossing connects Israel and northern Gaza and will be reopened to humanitarian cargo, OCHA said. In recent weeks, the UN has repaired the road leading to Zikim inside Gaza in preparation for its reopening and is now carrying out final checks – including for possible explosion risks – to allow collection of goods to resume.
