A ceasefire is largely holding, but the children of Gaza have endured a “horrific toll” during the last 15 months of fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, and now UN humanitarian agencies say a “massive response”’ is needed to save lives.

It’s estimated that at least 14,500 children have been killed since the war began and thousands more injured.

Early in the conflict, as medical facilities were destroyed in the fighting, newborns had to share life-saving equipment. 

Nearly one million children no longer have a home and an estimated 17,000 are unaccompanied or separated from their parents.

UNICEF has described the humanitarian needs as enormous following the “collapse of essential services across Gaza.” 

Throughout the conflict UN agencies have continued to provide emergency support, including a polio vaccination campaign targeting almost 600,000 children.

Children have received warm clothes for the winter as well as hot meals and access to drinking water.

Some 95 per cent of Gaza’s school buildings have been damaged or destroyed, but children have been able to carry on studying at UNICEF-run centres.

As families begin to return home following the ceasefire agreement which came into effect on 19 January, the UN has said humanitarians must have the “opportunity to safely roll out the massive response that is so desperately needed.”