At least 74 children have died in the enclave in the first seven days of 2025. Top stories of the day | Monday: Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, children UN
The main news of the day in the UN and around the world: at least 74 children killed in Gaza in the first week of the year, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator in Zaporizhia, expanding access to medical care in Sudan, a new era of crises threatens the future of children.
Gaza casualties
The UN humanitarian coordinator in the occupied Palestinian territory has called for an end to the war in Gaza to ensure a better future for children in the strip and across the Middle East. According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), eight newborn babies have died of hypothermia in the Gaza Strip in less than three weeks. At least 74 children have died in the enclave in the first seven days of 2025. According to a report by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), 136 attacks on medical facilities in Gaza were recorded between 7 October 2023 and 30 June 2024.
Zaporizhzhia
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher is visiting Zaporizhia. He visited areas affected by airstrikes and met with local residents. Noting that the attacks are causing “enormous harm to the civilian population,” the Emergency Relief Coordinator emphasized that life there “goes on despite the war,” and parents are thinking about the future of their children. For example, classrooms have been created in bunkers 7 meters underground where children can safely receive an education.
Health in Sudan
The World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have signed an agreement aimed at expanding access to essential health services for more than 8 million people across Sudan and strengthening the country’s health system. $82 million has been allocated for this work. More than 70 percent of hospitals and health facilities in conflict-affected areas of Sudan are not functioning. They have been destroyed in the fighting or cannot function due to a shortage of medical supplies.
Threats to Children’s Well-Being
The world is entering a new era of crises that threaten the well-being of children: climate change, growing inequality and intensifying conflicts are disrupting their daily lives and depriving them of hope for the future. This is stated in a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). At the beginning of each year, UNICEF assesses the risks that children may face and suggests ways to address the problems. Thus, more than 473 million children currently live in conflict-affected areas – at least one in six children in the world. This is the highest figure since World War II.