ISLAMABAD: Children across Gaza and the West Bank are experiencing unprecedented levels of abuse and psychological trauma, with protection services struggling to meet escalating needs amid critical funding shortages, according to two newly released humanitarian reports.
According to the "Protecting Children in Gaza Strip" report, the scale of harm in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. More than 64,000 children have been killed or injured in conflict-related violence since October 2023
The reported stated that the psychological impact is near-universal, with nearly all 1.1 million children requiring mental health and psychosocial support, the report states. Children are displaying signs of distress including nightmares, aggression, depression and suicidal thoughts. An estimated 11,000 children have sustained life-altering injuries requiring long-term rehabilitation.
Family structures have collapsed, leaving 58,550 children who have lost one or both parents, according to the Gaza report, whilst 5,128 children have been identified as unaccompanied or separated from caregivers between January and October 2025.
Education has virtually ceased, with 658,000 children out of school and 89% of schools sustaining major damage or destruction, as per the report. Desperate families are resorting to exploitative measures, with one in four sending children into hazardous work—some as young as six years old.
West Bank crisis intensifies
Meanwhile in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, children face a different but equally alarming protection crisis. The report "Children in the West Bank: An Escalating Protection Crisis" states that case management partners report rising cases of neglect and emotional abuse driven by poverty, displacement and family stress.
More than 14,000 children were affected by home demolitions between January and April 2025, according to the West Bank report. Meanwhile 32,000 people, including thousands of children, were forcibly displaced in the northern West Bank at the start of the year.
Children in detention represent a major concern, with the report showing they accounted for 20% of case management cases in the second quarter of 2025, with boys aged 13-17 most affected.
According to the report, detained children are often denied access to families and lawyers and face high risks of physical and psychological violence.
Children with disabilities remain particularly vulnerable across both regions. The Gaza report shows 23,969 children with disabilities received tailored support, whilst the West Bank report indicates 4,808 were reached with dedicated services.
Funding crisis threatens response
Despite significant achievements, such as 896,300 children and caregivers reached with specialized protection services in Gaza, according to the Gaza report, and 155,239 children reached in the West Bank as per the West Bank report, humanitarian efforts face severe constraints.
Only 16% of the $121.2m requested for child protection in Gaza has been received, the Gaza report states. The West Bank requires $8.9m, with the West Bank report noting that funding shortfalls are limiting service sustainability.
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