Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank & Gaza

On Friday, 28 June 2024, during the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of ECOSOC, the Missions of Jordan and Belgium and the European Union Delegation to the United Nations launched a joint “Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza”. Nearly 60 states have already expressed support for the 5-point action plan which aims to raise awareness and increase humanitarian support for Palestinian children.

Palestinian children face dire humanitarian situation of unprecedented magnitude

The humanitarian impact of the ongoing hostilities is of unprecedented severity and magnitude in Gaza, and with repercussions in West Bank. Food insecurity has reached never before seen levels. Severe child food poverty affects nine in ten children in the Gaza Strip.[1] . Since 7 October 2023, more than 37,000 Palestinian fatalities have been reported across Gaza, by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, and nearly 85,000 have been reported injured.[2] Among them, nearly 8,000 children have been killed, tens of thousands injured and thousands more are estimated to be trapped under the rubble. In Gaza, an estimated 17,000 children are unaccompanied or separated from their parents[3]. This situation has led to an estimated 1 million children suffering from psychological trauma, who need urgent psycho-social support and care.[4] In the West Bank, over 500 Palestinian fatalities are recorded, including at least 126 children.[5]

Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza

Based on the Convention of the Rights of the Child, the UNSC resolutions 2712, 2720, 2728 and 2735, we call for urgent assistance to the children of Gaza and the West Bank.

This Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza has 5 action points:

We call on Parties for reaching an immediate ceasefire.

We call for the respect of international law, including international human rights law and humanitarian law. We recall the obligations for the parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as shelters and schools, and health, electric, water, sanitation facilities, to prevent loss of civilian and children’s lives, outbreaks of diseases, and to provide safe spaces and care to the sick and wounded, to those sheltered in public building such as schools, and to ensure the uninterrupted and secure humanitarian access s for delivering of critical and life-saving aid (fuel, cooking gas, food items, medical supplies, dignity and menstrual hygiene kits).

Any grave violations against all children, including killing and maiming of children should end. We call for the immediate, safe and unconditional release of all detained children and hostages in particular.

We call for safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to and within the Gaza Strip, including in the north, and in the West Bank to reach affected populations wherever they are. All access crossings must be opened. Safe and unhindered movement for humanitarian workers and supplies across the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank must be guaranteed.

We pledge to support a scaled-up UN-coordinated and principled humanitarian response to the Palestinian Children in Gaza and the West Bank with a focus in particular on the following areas and with due regard for children with special needs:

life-saving assistance and services: essential food and non-food items, including specific nutrition products and actions focused on children’s water, sanitation and hygiene needs
health care: the delivery of medicines and emergency medical supplies to hospitals and health facilities, including supplies for new-borns, kits for midwives, kits to treat acute watery diarrhea and provisions of other life-saving medicines.
mental health and psychological support
education: revive learning opportunities, create a safe space, training on landmine or other explosive weapons prevention and/or survivor assistance interventions.
humanitarian cash support for the most vulnerable households to meet their basic needs and the specific needs of their children.
specific support for unaccompanied Palestinian children who have been separated or lost their parents and are more vulnerable to any kind of abuse and exploitation.

All Member States and entities who support this Call to Action pledge to continue to advocate for these goals.

Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza Supporters (as at 16 September 2024)

Albania	Algeria	Andorra
Australia	Bahrain	Bangladesh
Belgium	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Brazil
Bulgaria	Cambodia	Canada
Chile	Colombia	Croatia
Cyprus	Denmark	Dominican Republic
Egypt	El Salvador	Estonia
Finland	France	Georgia
Germany	Greece	Iceland
Indonesia	Iraq	Ireland
Italy	Japan	Jordan
Kuwait	Latvia	Lebanon
Liechtenstein	Lithuania	Luxembourg
Malaysia	Malta	Mexico
Monaco	Mongolia	Netherlands
New Zealand	Norway	Oman
Philippines	Poland	Portugal
Qatar	Romania	San Marino
Senegal	Serbia	Slovenia
Spain	State of Palestine	Sweden
Switzerland	Thailand	Timor Leste
Türkiye	United Arab Emirates	United Kingdom
Uruguay	Vietnam	Yemen
European Union	Sovereign Order of Malta

Join the Call to Action for Palestinian Children

Call to Action at the UN ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment

Watch the event recording on UN Web TV

Launching the Call to Action for Palestinian Children

On 28 June 2024, the Missions of Jordan and Belgium, and the European Union Delegation to the United Nations organised a side-event to the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of ECOSOC, entitled “Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza”.

The discussions highlighted the need for efforts to implement the Call to Action.

Bringing attention to the plight of children in the West Bank and Gaza

The objective of the event was to bring attention to the plight of children in the West Bank and Gaza, and advocate for increased support to address the humanitarian crisis they are suffering. During the event, the five action points of the Call were outlined and UN Member States, humanitarian donors, UN agencies, the Red Cross and Crescent Movement, and humanitarian NGOs, were given the opportunity to indicate their support.

Advocating for efforts to implement the Call to Action

The event consisted of keynote video addresses, two panels of senior experts who updated participants on the current needs, gaps and challenges, and finally an open discussion on what is needed from the international community to respond to the urgent needs of children. The panels focused on issues including IHL, humanitarian access, and children’s rights as well as their unique vulnerabilities and needs.

Watch the event recording on UN Web TV

Voices of Palestinian Children

Courtesy of UNICEF

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Video file
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EU joins the Statement of Shared Commitments on UNRWA

As one of UNRWA’s top donors, the EU was proud to join the Statement of Shared Commitments on UNRWA in July 2024. The Shared Commitments recognise the important and indispensable role of UNRWA, including in “providing life-saving assistance to generations of Palestinian refugees through the provision of essential education, health, relief and social services programmes and emergency assistance”.

Read the full press release

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