Gaza, 21 November (IANS). General Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said Gaza has become a ‘cemetery’ for children. “They (children) are being killed, injured, forced to migrate, deprived of safety, education and sports,” he said in a statement on the occasion of World Children’s Day (which is observed on 20 November every year). Are being deprived.”
“Their childhood has been taken away, and they are on the verge of becoming a lost generation because they have lost another school year,” Lazzarini said, according to Xinhua news agency.
The chief of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said that children in the West Bank are living in constant fear and anxiety.
On Wednesday, Palestinian groups appealed for international action to protect children in Gaza and the West Bank. The appeal highlighted the appalling humanitarian conditions children are facing.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued a statement emphasizing that children are the most vulnerable and affected by Israeli actions. They are facing dire conditions that violate their fundamental rights, including the right to life.
The ministry warned that children in Gaza are at real risk, estimating that millions of children are suffering from acute shortages of food and clean drinking water.
The statement also stressed that children in the West Bank continue to face the same ‘criminal’ policies, such as arbitrary detention, and illegal prosecution, that are contrary to their rights under international agreements. There is a clear violation of rights.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian National Council said children in Gaza are ‘paying a heavy price’ from October 2023, with the world unable to stop this genocide.
A statement issued by the council said that in addition to the attacks, Gaza’s children have also lost their lives due to hunger, thirst and disease due to the siege. Thousands of children have become orphans.
–IANS
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