On World Children’s Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) sounded an urgent alarm over the deep psychological wounds left on Gaza’s children after more than two years of conflict, warning that even a fragile cease-fire has done little to ease the scars of bombardment, displacement and repeated loss.
The truce, brokered by the United States and in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, has reduced large-scale fighting, but WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pause offers only “moments of quiet” in a crisis that continues to unravel children’s lives.
The lull has allowed WHO teams and humanitarian partners to expand lifesaving health work, including a vaccination drive targeting more than 40,000 children against polio, measles and pneumonia.
By mid-November, over 10,000 children had received shots, and the campaign’s first phase was extended to capitalize on the temporary calm.
Yet Tedros stressed that no amount of medical outreach can instantly repair the emotional devastation caused by years of fear, loss and instability.
