The Missing Children of Gaza – Save the Children International
We can’t be sure.
At least 10,000 people are reported missing under the rubble, presumed dead. Children are reported to make up 43% of total casualties in this devastating war.
So, it’s reasonable to estimate that at least 5,160 children are dead under the rubble.
As of February, an estimated 17,000 children were unaccompanied and separated from their families. This number is likely much higher now, with our team in Gaza finding more unaccompanied children every day.
Furthermore, the bodies of children have been among those recently found in mass graves with many showing signs of torture.
The UN has also raised the alarm about the mass detention of possibly thousands of people, including children, reporting cases of ill-treatment in detention by Israeli forces.
The ongoing violence in Gaza has disrupted communications, and the attacks on hospitals have made it extremely difficult for medical staff to report death tolls and identify those killed. Hospitals must not become battlegrounds.
A child’s doll amongst the rubble in Gaza. Photo: Bisan Owda / Save the Children.
A child’s doll amongst the rubble in Gaza. Photo: Bisan Owda / Save the Children.
At the same time, the unrelenting intensity of the war in Gaza, movement and access restrictions, and communication blackouts have made it difficult to keep track of and locate children who have been separated and detained.
This means that the true number of missing children in Gaza is even higher.
You can protect the lives of children living in crisis around the world.
This post was originally published on 3rd party site mentioned in the title of this page
