More than three months of escalating conflict, killing and bombardments have left families in Gaza reeling. Each day, children face the risk of death from the sky, disease from lack of safe water, and dangerous shortages of food. Thousands of children have died and thousands more are left confronting a deadly triple threat of conflict, disease, and malnutrition.
Even before the latest escalation of violence, around 1 million children were in need of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem – almost half the child population. UNICEF remains on the ground, working with partners to provide supplies and support for families.
But aid is not reaching every child in urgent need. Day after day, UNICEF and partners face three major challenges to reach those who need it most:
