UNICEF has warned that nearly two children are being killed every day in Gaza despite the ceasefire, highlighting deepening risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children.
UNICEF said the violence has persisted despite an agreement intended to halt the killing. The organisation stressed that children continue to face grave danger and worsening living conditions as winter intensifies across the Gaza Strip. It warned that the situation remains dire for families still seeking shelter and safety.
Speaking in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said the suffering of children in Gaza continues to escalate even under the ceasefire. He emphasised that the recent deaths reflect the severe impact of ongoing conflict-related incidents, which have not ceased despite international agreements.
Pires told journalists that “since 11th of October, while the ceasefire has been in effect, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip, dozens more have been injured.” He added that this represents “an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire took effect and the agreement that the killing would stop was finally achieved.”
Pires also said these figures represent real children whose lives were brutally ended, stressing that they are not mere statistics. He said UNICEF teams continue to witness distressing scenes, including children sleeping outdoors with amputations, and orphans shaking with fear.
Pires described what UNICEF personnel have encountered on the ground. He said, “I saw this myself when I was last there in August. The reality imposed on Gaza remains brutally simple. There is no safe place for them, and the world cannot continue to normalise their suffering.” He added that despite expanding operations, UNICEF remains unable to meet the full scale of needs.
He noted that the agency “could do a lot more if the aid that is really needed was entering faster.” UNICEF has repeatedly called for greater access for humanitarian supplies to prevent further deterioration.
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Pires warned that winter conditions are adding new dangers for hundreds of thousands of displaced children living in makeshift shelters. He said “the stakes are incredibly high” and described winter as “a threat multiplier.”
He explained that children have “no heating, no insulation, and too few blankets.” Respiratory infections are increasing and contaminated water is spreading diarrhoea. He said that “children continue to clamber over broken rubble barefoot.”
Pires said “too many children have already paid the highest price, too many are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them it (war) would stop and we would protect them.” He urged action, saying “now we must act like it.”
