Israel-Palestine violence has ‘huge impact’ on children’s mental health, warns UNICEF

ISTANBUL (AA) – Many children are being exposed to violence during the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict which is having a “huge impact” on their mental health and psychological well-being, according to the UN.

“It has an impact on the mental health of the children. It has also an impact on their physical well-being. We have received testimonies of children who are worried and very anxious,” Jonathan Crickx, chief of communication at UNICEF State of Palestine, said in a video interview.

Children remain among the most vulnerable and “heavily affected” during the ongoing war, he said.

According to latest official figures, there are over 200 children among more than 1,000 Palestinians who have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past five days.

According to Crickx, some Israeli children have also been killed, but the complete figures are not available now.

He said the number of child victims continues to rise.

Along with the exposure to violence, displacement around and inside the Gaza Strip is causing them additional anxiety and stress, he said.

– Humanitarian assistance

Emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian assistance, Crickx said more than 1 million children had already been in need of aid in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank before the latest escalation.

“Hundreds of thousands of children are affected by the escalation of hostilities and they are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance and of protection,” he said.

He said the situation is extremely worrying, adding that the UN agency is alarmed by the suspension of water and electricity supply to over 2 million people in Gaza.

“This will add another layer to the suffering, to the catastrophe. Depriving children of access to essential services is definitely putting them at risk,” he said.

He said UNICEF has provided assistance in the form of medical supplies and fuel to be used for electricity.

However, they were prepositioned supplies and, currently, all access to the Gaza Strip is closed, said Crickx, calling for the setting up of a humanitarian corridor.

– Protection of children

As the figure of people internally displaced in Gaza reaches 200,000, Crickx said a large number of them, including children, are being sheltered in schools.

However, the situation there is “very complicated as there are a lot of people,” he added.

Witnessing unprecedented atrocities targeting loved ones is leaving deep scars of trauma that can potentially lead to lifelong mental illnesses for the young inhabitants of Gaza.

The UNICEF official urged all parties to “unconditionally protect children from harm and afford them the special protection that they are entitled to under international humanitarian and human rights laws.”