UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The U.N. Children's Fund says 91 Palestinian children have died so far this year in the conflict-ridden region of Gaza and the West Bank.
The agency reported Thursday the current Palestinian child-mortality rate is almost double that of 2005, mainly due to the increased stress children are suffering as they deal with the everyday realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"They are confronted with regular military operations, shelling, house demolitions, checkpoints on their way to schools," UNICEF Child Protection Officer Anne Grandjean said. "As a result, we find high prevalence of signs of stress such as anxiety, eating and sleeping disorders, and difficulties concentrating in school."
Grandjean feels these problems must be "tackled as soon as possible to avoid a long-lasting impact on the child's development."
In attempt to help children in the region, the children's agency and the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission have groups of social workers and psychologists responding to their needs. The program reaches about 3,000 children and their families a month, offering counseling after violent events.
UNICEF and its partners also throw a festival and beach party for the Palestinian children each month, aimed at giving them a chance to play freely in a safe environment.
"It's an opportunity for children to be children, which is rare here in Gaza, because they live in an environment of extraordinary fear and violence and insecurity," said UNICEF Special Representative for Gaza and the West Bank Dan Rohrmann. "These festivals are important because they are about protecting childhood."
