UNICEF Reports Ongoing Child Casualties and Severe Conditions in Gaza Despite Ceasefire

More than 340 children have been reported killed in the Gaza Strip in the year following the announcement of a ceasefire, UNICEF Global Deputy Spokesperson Ricardo Pires stated during a press briefing in Geneva on October 16, 2026. According to the agency, casualties continue to mount, with five boys and two girls reported killed and at least 33 children seriously injured by airstrikes, drone strikes, and gunfire across the territory in the past two weeks alone, alongside two boys who died from previous injuries.

A new UNICEF report highlights the ongoing humanitarian toll on Gaza's youth, noting that approximately 800,000 children remain displaced, largely residing in tents or damaged structures. The agency estimates that 60,000 children have lost one or both parents during the conflict or since the ceasefire took effect, and that nearly all children in the territory require mental health support.

While the ceasefire has improved food security and enabled more commercial and humanitarian supplies to enter the enclave, UNICEF warned that essential public infrastructure remains critically impaired ahead of winter. All six wastewater treatment facilities in Gaza are currently out of service, causing raw sewage to flow directly into the sea and leaving stormwater basins at risk of overflowing. Pires stated that equipment required to drain the half-full Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin within two weeks has not yet been permitted by Israeli authorities to enter Gaza, raising concerns about potential flooding of residential areas with contaminated water.

Humanitarian operations are ongoing, with UNICEF reporting that over 560,000 children have resumed learning, including at more than 200 UNICEF-supported centers. The agency has also distributed digital cash assistance to more than 380,000 individuals and continues providing safe water to 1.2 million residents alongside waste management and medical support.

UNICEF called on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, adhere to the terms of the ceasefire and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, and facilitate the entry of critical equipment, spare parts, generators, and maintenance supplies needed to repair Gaza's vital infrastructure.

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