ASIATODAY.ID, GAZA – More than two years of war have created what humanitarian agencies are now calling Gaza’s “lost generation.”
According to new assessments shared by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 90 per cent of children in Gaza are exhibiting severe behavioural changes — becoming more aggressive, withdrawn, anxious, and deprived of any sense of safety.
Daily life has collapsed. Stability is gone. Childhood has been replaced by survival.
A Widespread Psychological Emergency
Child protection partners reported in September that:
93% of children show aggressive behaviour
90% have been violent toward younger children
86% experience deep sadness and social withdrawal
79% suffer from disturbed sleep
69% refuse to study
These indicators signal a generation pushed to the brink by constant trauma.
Violence Never Truly Stops
Although a fragile ceasefire is in place, violence continues around the “Yellow Line,” where Israeli forces control more than half of the Gaza Strip. Daily detonations of residential buildings are still being reported.
Access to the sea remains prohibited, with Palestinian fishers continuing to face detentions.
One Million People Still Displaced
Out of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents, around one million remain in 862 displacement sites. Overcrowding in these camps has intensified risks for girls and children with disabilities, who face heightened exposure to violence, neglect, and unsafe WASH facilities.
UNRWA estimates that 75,000 people are staying in roughly 100 of its shelters.
Children Growing Up Without Safe Spaces
Humanitarian partners report soaring anxiety and behavioural shifts among children who no longer have access to safe spaces. Over the past four weeks, more than 132,000 children have received protection services — including psychological counselling, group sessions, stress management activities, recreational support, and referrals.
The collective goal is to reach more than 100,000 children each month to meet the urgent needs of almost one million children across Gaza.
A Small Opening: Zikim Crossing Reopens
After an eight-week closure, Israeli authorities have reopened the Zikim Crossing for humanitarian cargo into northern Gaza. The UN has repaired the road leading to the crossing and is conducting final safety checks, including for explosive hazards, to ensure that aid deliveries can resume. (AT Network)
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