The United Nations has warned that the Gaza Strip is on the verge of losing an entire generation of children due to the ongoing war, which continues to spread destruction and despair throughout the area. The International Committee of the Red Cross has expressed that the people of Gaza are struggling to survive, and the needs within Gaza are overwhelming their ability to respond.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) stated that the Gaza Strip is on the brink of losing an entire generation of children due to the Israeli war. Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s Director of Media and Communications, posted on the platform “X” yesterday that 600,000 children in Gaza have been unable to attend school since the war began, leading to numerous school closures and the transformation of UNRWA schools into shelters for displaced persons.
She added, “If this war continues, we face the risk of losing an entire generation of children.
The time that children are out of school will make it difficult to recover their educational losses,” calling for an immediate ceasefire for the sake of these children.
In a related context, UNRWA stated in a post on their “X” account yesterday that “destruction and despair are widespread throughout the Gaza Strip as the fighting and forced displacement continue. Palestinian families continue to be forcibly displaced, some taking refuge in damaged schools and buildings, while others live in temporary tents,” emphasizing that “nowhere in the sector is safe.”
The agency concluded by renewing its demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as all Palestinians feel “extremely tired and exhausted.”
Furthermore, Sarah Davies, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, in a statement to “Al Ittihad,” stated that no one in the Gaza Strip feels safe currently. Many individuals and entire families, some of whom have injuries or disabilities and include the elderly, have been displaced multiple times over the past nine months.
Davies explained that each time people are forced to flee, they must find new areas where they can set up tents if available, and locate sources of water and food outlets. She described the level of exhaustion—physically, emotionally, and mentally—as “horrific,” but noted that people have no other choice. “Each time people are displaced, they face the risk of being separated from their family members, and trying to find people in a state of chaos when many are panicking and rushing is an extremely difficult task,” as residents in Gaza struggle to access basic necessities such as food, drinking water, shelter, and medical care.
According to the international spokesperson, teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross are providing medical support in the field hospital alongside 12 national associations and the Palestine Red Crescent Society to meet the urgent needs of the community.
In another related context, the International Committee of the Red Cross stated in a release yesterday that the massive needs in Gaza exceed their capacity to respond. The agency added that residential areas in northern Gaza have suffered from increased fighting over the past week, resulting in the death and injury of large numbers of civilians.
The statement also mentioned that their hotline had received hundreds of calls in recent days from people in desperate need of assistance, and entire families are trapped, desperately seeking safety. The statement highlighted that Israeli orders were often unclear, leading to confusion and fear among the residents.
