UNICEF warns that hundreds of thousands of children remain deprived of food, clean water, and education as Gaza struggles to recover from massive destruction.

UNICEF has warned that life in Gaza has not returned to normal despite the recent ceasefire, stressing that hundreds of thousands of children remain at risk of hunger, disease, and severe malnutrition due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

UNICEF Spokesperson James Ingram said thousands of displaced families who returned to the Gaza Strip have found their homes completely destroyed and are struggling to rebuild their lives amid widespread devastation.

“Although the increase in aid reaching Gaza during the first two weeks of the ceasefire is encouraging, it is still far from enough. The level of assistance has not yet reached even pre-conflict levels,” Ingram said.

He emphasized that humanitarian aid must flow into Gaza on a much larger and faster scale, warning that “children are dying from preventable causes such as malnutrition, hypothermia, and disease because we still cannot bring enough supplies into Gaza.”

“The ceasefire has not completely changed children’s lives. Fewer bombs are falling, but living conditions remain horrific,” he added. “We must ensure that 650,000 children can return to school and that one million children have access to safe drinking water and food. Thousands of children will go to bed hungry tonight.”

Ingram also noted that many hospitals in Gaza remain without doctors, leaving countless children untreated. “Life continues to be incredibly difficult for children and families in Gaza,” he said.

According to UNICEF, urgent action and increased aid are essential to prevent further loss of life and to secure the basic needs of Gaza’s most vulnerable — its children.(ILKHA)