Gaza: War has made children violent, sad and bereft

This article is published in association with United Nations.

More than nine in 10 children in Gaza are displaying signs of aggressive behaviour linked to more than two years of war between Hamas and Israel, welfare agencies have reported. 

Issuing a warning that the children’s sense of stability and security has been eroded as key everyday services have collapsed, humanitarians insist that young Gazans will need “sustained, long-term efforts to recover”.

According to child safety partner assessments conducted in September, shared by the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), 93 per cent exhibited aggressive behaviour and 90 per cent were violent towards younger children.

Sadness and withdrawal are almost as common (86 per cent), along with disturbed sleep (79 per cent) and widespread refusal to study (69 per cent).

Violence every day

While a fragile ceasefire holds, the deadly violence and insecurity have not ended entirely, with Israeli military strikes near or east of the so-called “Yellow Line”.

This is where the Israeli military remains deployed, amounting to more than 50 per cent of the Gaza Strip, OCHA said.

In an update, the UN aid office noted that access to the sea remains prohibited; it also cited reports that Palestinian fishers continue to be detained at sea by Israeli forces.

“In areas beyond the ‘Yellow Line’…daily detonations of residential buildings continue to be reported and access to humanitarian assets, public infrastructure and agricultural land remains restricted or altogether barred,” the OCHA update states.

One million still homeless

Out of Gaza’s 2.1 million population, approximately a million live in 862 displacement sites today.

More than half of these sites are in the southernmost area of Khan Younis, 264 are in Deir al Balah, 180 are in Gaza and North Gaza governorates and eight are in Rafah.

Many camps are overcrowded, increasing the dangers for girls and children – particularly those with disabilities at risk from violence, neglect and dangerous access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.

The UN Palestine relief agency, UNRWA, said that around 75,000 people are living in around 100 of its designated shelters and surrounding areas.

Rising anxiety

UN aid partners providing assistance to youngsters report that they suffer from heightened anxiety, behavioural changes and growing concern over the ongoing lack of safe spaces.

In the four weeks since an agreed pause in fighting, humanitarian partners have delivered child protection services to more than 132,000 across the Gaza Strip. This includes nearly 1,600 children with disabilities and 45,000 caregivers, OCHA said.

Assistance has included individual psychological consultations, group sessions, stress management activities, recreational psychosocial support and referrals for further help.

The aim is to reach more than 100,000 children each month to address the needs of nearly one million children in the Gaza Strip.

The development came as the Israeli authorities​​​​​​​ announced the reopening of Zikim crossing following an eight-week closure.

The crossing links Israel and northern Gaza and will reopen for humanitarian cargo, OCHA said. In recent weeks, the UN has been repairing the road leading to Zikim inside Gaza in preparation for the reopening and is now carrying out final checks – including for potential explosive hazards – to enable the resumption of cargo collection.