Written by Jermaine Magethe
13 children killed in the West Bank since year began: UNICEF
Escalating violence in the West Bank has further deepened an already severe humanitarian crisis, with the toll on children and families mounting day by day.
Recent reports show not only a considerable rise in child casualties but also extensive damage to the region’s critical infrastructure, leaving communities reeling from the consequences of the conflict.
UNICEF Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, issued an adamant call for hostilities to completely cease. “The situation is intolerable,” he said, indicating that thirteen Palestinian children have already died since the start of this year—a figure totaling a 200 percent increase compared to previous times. In a fatal accident, a 10-year-old boy was killed by gunshot wounds, and only days after, an eight-month pregnant woman was shot and murdered, her death to be added to that of her unborn child.
The brutality has destroyed everything in vital places, specifically in densely populated refugee camps such as Nur Shams, Jenin, Tulkarem, and al-Faraa. Ordinary life within these places has been interrupted. Essential commodities like water, electricity, and health that are short in supply, and the destruction of nearly 100 schools has left education in shambles. Students and teachers alike must now daily live with threats not only from violence but from the long-term psychological and social ramifications that accompany such instability.
Aside from the obvious physical harm, experts are raising an alarm at a looming mental health crisis. With so many children exposed to chronic trauma, local and global humanitarian organizations are stepping up to offer psychosocial support. As the West Bank endures this endless pattern of bloodshed and destruction, the imperative shout from every corner is one: protect the civilians’ lives especially the children and make way for sustainable peace and stability. It can only happen, though, if there is joined-up global effort and sustained local resolve, allowing the region to break out of this violence and build a future where peace holds sway.