Shafaq News/ The war in Gaza has been devastating for children, with over 13,000 Palestinian children killed and thousands more affected in numerous ways, UN agencies revealed.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that of the 40,717 Palestinian bodies identified so far in Gaza, one-third – 13,319 – were children, citing figures from Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, UNICEF estimates that 25,000 children have been injured, reflecting the heavy toll of the war on the most vulnerable.

Additionally, nearly 19,000 children were hospitalized for acute malnutrition in the four months leading to December 2024, as reported by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

The UN says thousands of children have also been orphaned or separated from their parents during the 15-month war.

In turn, Yasmine Sherif, executive director of the UN global fund Education Cannot Wait, told a press conference that 650,000 school-age children haven’t been attending classes and the entire education system has to be rebuilt because of the widespread destruction in Gaza.

“Gaza has become the deadliest place in the world to be a child,” said James Kariuki, Britain’s Deputy UN Ambassador, during a recent Security Council session. “The children of Gaza did not choose this war, yet they have paid the ultimate price.”