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| Children in the Gaza Strip and many other parts of the Middle East are suffering serious mental trauma due to the conflict. (Source: AFP) |
“Children's rights are being violated at a level rarely seen in history,” said Ann Skelton, chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
She called for more psychological support for children and their families “to alleviate the traumatic and lasting impact of the war, including Israeli children who were victims or witnesses of last October’s attack and those whose family members were taken hostage.”
The UN official also called for the planned dialogue on issues related to children in the Gaza Strip to be accelerated and expressed concern about the living conditions of children in the West Bank.
Last week, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that nearly all children in the Gaza Strip, more than 1 million of them, need mental health support.
In addition, at least 17,000 children in this territory are currently homeless, without parents or relatives nearby.
Due to lack of food, water and shelter, families are unable to care for additional children. The mental health of Palestinian children is severely affected. Many show signs of extreme anxiety, loss of appetite, insomnia and panic attacks whenever they hear bombs exploding.
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