The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) says nearly all of Gaza’s 1.1 million children need mental health and psychosocial support amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment, displacement and dire living conditions, Al Jazeera reports.

Children suffer from nightmares, anxiety and paralysing fears due to air strikes and the loss of family members. Many become aggressive, withdrawn, or stop speaking, the UN agency said.

The UN estimates that at least 19,000 Palestinian children have been orphaned since the war on Gaza began.

Mental health experts caution that the scars inflicted on these young minds could persist for generations.