Unicef warns that an Israeli military incursion into Rafah, in southern Gaza Strip, would be "catastrophic". It would affect 600,000 children taking refuge in the city. Many of them have a disability, medical condition, or other vulnerability that puts them at even greater risk.
"Rafah is now a city of children who have no safe place to go in Gaza," said Catherine Russell, executive director of Unicef, in a statement. This comes after the Israeli Army's warning to evacuate about 100,000 Rafah residents in anticipation of military action.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), following the October evacuation orders to move south, it is estimated that there are now around 1.2 million refugees in Rafah. It was home to 250,000 people, and many of those children have been displaced multiple times and now seek refuge in tents or unstable informal housing.
Given the high concentration of children, including many who are highly vulnerable and on the brink of survival, as well as the likely intensity of violence, with potential evacuation corridors likely, Unicef warned of a new catastrophe for the minors.
It stated that military operations will result in a large number of civilian casualties and that the few remaining basic services and infrastructures they need to survive will be totally destroyed.
"Over 200 days of war have taken an unimaginable toll on children's lives," Russell said.
Chaos and Panic
If large-scale military operations were to materialize, children not only face the risk of violence but also chaos and panic, "at a time when their physical and mental states are already weakened," she said.
She also noted that children are being disproportionately killed and injured and suffer more acutely from disruptions in medical care, education, and lack of access to sufficient food.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, over 14,000 children have died in the conflict that began on October 7.
Acute Malnutrition
Unicef estimates that around 65,000 children have pre-existing disabilities, including difficulties in seeing, hearing, walking, understanding, and learning; around 78,000 are under two years old, with nearly 8,000 suffering from acute malnutrition.
Additionally, approximately 175,000 children under 5 (or 9 out of 10) are affected by one or more infectious diseases, and almost all of them already require psychosocial and mental health support, the organization said, calling for an "immediate and lasting" humanitarian ceasefire, the release of hostages, and an end to any serious violations against children.