Half of wounded Gaza children disabled

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:35:52 GMT

A report shows more than half of the wounded children have been disabled due to Israeli attacks during the 23-day war against Gaza.

A report reveals that half of the Palestinian children wounded during the 23-day Israeli attacks on Gaza have been permanently disabled.

The report conducted by the Algerian Authority for Developing Health and Research says that 50 percent of the children wounded are now classified as disabled.

According to the UN figures, 460 Palestinian children were killed and 1,855 others were wounded during the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The study, which is based on the findings of an Algerian media team in Gaza, also found that almost 800,000 Palestinian children suffer from mental health disorders caused by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.

The report by the Algerian organization comes as the UN Children's Fund has announced that children are the main victims of the Israeli offensive into Gaza.

"Each day more children are being hurt, their small bodies wounded, their young lives shattered. This is tragic. This is unacceptable," said UNICEF executive director Ann Veneman in a statement.

UN special expert Richard Falk also said that '46 percent of all Gaza children' suffered from acute anemia and many others are dealing with hearing disorders, deafness as well as mental disorders.

Apart from the consequences of the 23-day war, the Israeli siege of Gaza has also put the lives of many children at stake. Children in the Gaza Strip are denied of basic rights, including access to food, medicine and health care.