Unicef spokesperson Tess Ingram has just returned from a two-week visit to Gaza, where she spoke with many children about their experiences amid the rubble of their homes and harsh weather conditions.

Children are continuing to suffer in the enclave, with little access to food and water, shelter, healthcare or even clothes, she told Al Jazeera.

“Yes, the bullets and the bombs may no longer be threatening their lives after 15 months of fear and horror, but the humanitarian crisis persists, and that crisis is really having a serious impact on children in Gaza more than any other person,” she said.

The biggest challenge currently facing relief organisations like Unicef, Ingram said, is the sheer scale of the needs.

“Humanitarian aid was restricted for much of the war, so now we are rapidly trying to catch up with many of the needs of the children. But unfortunately, many of those needs are still the most basic needs, like shelter and clothes.”

Palestinian children ride a wagon on a street among the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip on February 17. — Reuters
Palestinian children ride a wagon on a street among the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip on February 17. — Reuters

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