Six Palestinian children have died from hypothermia in Gaza this winter, a UNICEF spokesperson said on Tuesday.
"We've had children die of hypothermia again in the last few days. So, we've now gone to six children who died of hypothermia just in this winter," James Elder told journalists in Geneva via video link from Gaza.
Elder said more than 100 children have been killed since the ceasefire took effect in October last year.
"That's roughly a girl or a boy killed here every day during a ceasefire," he said, adding that "life in Gaza remains suffocating" and that "survival remains conditional."
According to UNICEF, confirmed figures show that 60 boys and 40 girls were killed in Gaza during the ceasefire though Elder stressed that "the actual number of Palestinian children killed is expected to be higher," as the tally only reflects cases where sufficient details were available.
He said most of the deaths since the ceasefire took effect were caused by military action. "These children are killed from air strikes, drone strikes, including suicide drones. They're killed from tank shelling. They're killed from live ammunition," he said.
The spokesperson said that while the ceasefire has enabled some humanitarian gains, including expanded health, nutrition, water and sanitation services, conditions for children remain dire.
"A ceasefire that slows the bombs is progress, but one that still buries children is not enough," he said.
He called for full enforcement of the ceasefire, humanitarian access and accountability, urging for "real safety" for Gaza’s children.
