The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that vital aid for children in in the West Bank is being scuppered by increasing violence in the region.
Over 200 children have died in the West Bank since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect. The number of child deaths is the highest recorded in years, said the IRC. “This surge in violence is causing profound trauma and preventing IRC and partners from responding to meet mounting needs in Jenin, one of the worst-hit areas,” it said in a statement.
The IRC has partnered with the Palestinian organisation Teacher Creativity Center (TCC) to support children affected by the ongoing violence in the region. “However, ongoing military operations, including airstrikes, have destroyed infrastructure and made it nearly impossible to safely deliver these vital services,” the statement added.
The organisation says despite the ceasefire, 658,000 school-aged children in Gaza and across the West Bank remain without formal education, with almost 90% of schools destroyed, damaged, or being used as shelters.
Zoe Daniels, the IRC’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), said: “While there’s a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, children in the West Bank are facing increasing levels of violence, displacement, and deep trauma. The very places meant to protect and support them—schools, safe spaces, essential services—are disappearing before their eyes.”
Daniels added that education is a universal right and must continue even during conflict. “Civilians, schools, and critical infrastructure must never be targets. The international community must step up, hold those responsible accountable, and take urgent action to prevent more harm.”