Results for children Summary Narrative
UNICEF in the State of Palestine
Highlights
2022 has witnessed a concerning increase in the level of tensions and violence across the State of Palestine, resulting in a worrisome deterioration of protection of civilians, particularly children. Only 14 months after the May 2021 escalation, in August three days of hostilities took place in the Gaza Strip leaving thousands of children traumatized in and around Gaza and in need of life-saving support.
Exacerbated by protracted trauma, these recurrent rounds of violence have serious impacts on children and women’s lives and their mental health. The 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) identified a total of 725,000 children in need of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) a slight increase from the children in need identified in the previous year.
In 2022, UNICEF in the State of Palestine co-created with a wide range of stakeholders, including children and young people, the new Area Programme Document (APD) 2023-2025 for Palestinian children in Jordan, Lebanon, State of Palestine and Syria. The process was coordinated with the Regional Office and with the other Country Offices. In parallel, UNICEF also actively participated in the development of the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2023-2025, leading with WHO on the outcome on basic social services, while contributing to the other three - on economic growth, governance and rule of law and access to cultural and natural resources - and ensuring that the situation of children is adequately reflected.
The overall goal of the 2023–2025 area programme is to transform the lives of every Palestinian girl and boy by progressively fulfilling their basic rights to survival, care, child and social protection, and participation, their right to reach their full potential, and their right to live in protective, equitable and inclusive societies.
Despite the increase in violence, Palestinian children show inspiring stories of resilience and hope every day. Children and adolescents display determination to continue to learn, to succeed, and to produce innovative solutions to the challenges their communities face and help build a brighter, peaceful future.
With the support of our partners and donors, we are determined to ensure that girls, boys, and adolescents, irrespective of background or circumstance, have an equal chance to fulfil their potential.
