Children ‘suffer first and suffer most’ in war – UNICEF

The UN agency for children, UNICEF, has warned the humanitarian situation in the conflict zone is “rapidly deteriorating”, saying aid workers need safe passage to bring lifesaving aid to children and families.

“I remind all parties that in this war, as in all wars, it is children who suffer first and suffer most,” UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said in a statement released on Monday night.

“I am also deeply concerned about measures to block electricity and prevent food, fuel and water from entering Gaza, which may put the lives of children at risk,” she added.

UNICEF has estimated that there are roughly 1 million children living in the Gaza Strip, meaning almost half of the people in Gaza are children.

She also called for the “immediate and safe release of any children being held hostage in Gaza so that they can be reunited with their families or caregivers”.