UNICEF: Adverse Affects of the Israeli-Palestininian Conflict on Children

Of those affected by the Israel-Palestine conflict, the children have it the hardest. Whether it be in Palestine or Israel, there are children who are being deprived of their basic human rights and who are not able to enjoy a normal childhood.

    The state of Israel, which has adopted the Convention of the Rights of Child, is responsible for the rights of Palestinian children, as certain Palestinian territories are under the governance of Israel. This causes conflict, as Israel does not believe that it should be responsible for the rights of Palestinian children. The conflict is dangerous to children as it results in deaths; by either accident, such as crossfires, or intentional attacks, such missile attacks on school buses or military raids on public buildings. UNICEF reports that 194 children under the age of 18 have been killed since the conflict escalated a year ago. This horrendous statistic includes 166 Palestinians and 27 Israelis. In addition to the physical harm caused to children of both parties, youth are subjected to emotional trauma. Pierre Poupard, a representative of UNICEF in the West Bank and Gaza, says that “All Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza are exposed in some form to increased psychological stress.” Although Poupard doesn’t have much data on Israeli children’s psychological state, he imagines they must be going through similar emotional distress. Poupard shows that fear is common among children. An important obstacle to the rights of children is their access to food, water, healthcare, and education; the wall separating Israel and Palestine greatly affects Palestinians’ access to the aforementioned necessities. Israeli restrictions on Palestinian citizens are major obstacles for Palestine’s economy, leaving the state and its citizens in poverty. The unemployment rate in Palestine has been rising in recent years, being at 25% in 2012, and rising to 29% in 2017. The lack of education and employment in Palestine puts most of their population in poverty, depriving the children of a healthy childhood as well as often contributing to the influence of extremist groups. UNICEF has called for Israeli authorities to ensure that children under the age of 18 are not targeted and has also called for the Palestinian Authority to discourage all children under the age of 18 from engaging in violent actions.

To learn more how you can help: https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/how-you-can-help/emergencies

UNICEF Club Contributor: Tomas Belmar da Costa