<\/p>\n
This is as military operations, settler violence, and the collapse of health services drive a sharp rise in deaths, injuries, and long\u2011term disability.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said violence in the West Bank has intensified since the start of 2025, with children increasingly targeted during military raids and settler attacks. According to UNICEF data, 70 children have been killed since January 2025, while 850 others have been injured, most by live ammunition.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder said patterns of violence now show a level of coordination that places children at sustained risk. Elder said March 2026 recorded the highest number of Palestinians injured by settler attacks in 20 years.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
During a recent mission to the West Bank, Elder described widespread fear among schoolchildren and families. Elder said schools are no longer safe spaces, with students killed, injured, detained, or forced to cross dangerous routes to reach classrooms. Elder said children now walk to school while constantly scanning surroundings for threats.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
UNICEF also reported a sharp rise in child detention. 347 Palestinian children are currently held in Israeli military detention, the highest figure in 8 years. UNICEF said 180 children are being held under administrative detention, without regular access to legal counsel or the ability to challenge detention.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In Gaza, UN agencies warned of a parallel crisis unfolding beyond immediate violence. Since the October 2025 ceasefire, UNICEF has documented 229 child deaths and 260 injuries, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates 10 000 children are living with life\u2011changing injuries.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WHO Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territories Dr Reinhilde Van de Weerdt said the scale of long\u2011term injury is overwhelming a health system that no longer functions. WHO estimates 43 000 people of the 172 000 injured since October 2023 have sustained severe trauma affecting limbs, the spinal cord, or the brain.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Van de Weerdt said fewer than 25% of the 2 277 amputees in Gaza have received permanent prosthetics due to shortages and blocked supply chains. At least 18 shipments of rehabilitation equipment, including prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs, remain pending clearance, with delays ranging from 130 days to more than 1 year.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WHO said no rehabilitation facilities are currently operational in Gaza, leaving more than 50 000 people without access to long\u2011term recovery care.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Van de Weerdt warned that delays are turning survivable injuries into permanent disabilities, with long\u2011term consequences for children, families, and the wider population.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
UN agencies called for immediate protection of civilians, unrestricted humanitarian access, and clearance of medical and rehabilitation supplies, warning that failure to act will entrench irreversible harm to an entire generation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–ChannelAfrica\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":34318,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-34317","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"United Nations (UN) agencies have warned that Palestinian children are facing escalating harm in both the occupied West Bank and Gaza. ","published_date":"","news_description":"United Nations (UN) agencies have warned that Palestinian children are facing escalating harm in both the occupied West Bank and Gaza. ","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/34317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/34317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34319,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/34317\/revisions\/34319"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=34317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}