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Sat, 13:33 14 Nov 2009 GMT17

 
Palestinian Territories

Medics treat a child after a Gaza missile strike. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

Years of Israeli-Palestinian violence has killed civilians and destroyed infrastructure. Children are not just at risk of death and injury, but also psychosocial disorders. Many teenagers in rundown cities and refugee camps see few better opportunities than joining an armed faction.

  • More than 700 Palestinian children have been killed in the uprising.

  • Nearly a third of families have a child suffering symptoms of psychosocial distress.

  • Chronic malnutrition among under-fives is on the rise - now 10 percent.

  • Few safe places for play or sport. Israeli limits on movement keep many out of school.

  • Some 285 children were in Israeli detention as of Sept. 2005.

"It's better to spend even your whole life in prison than to be stuck here." Hijazi Abdul-Rahman, 18, from the West Bank. He tried to get himself arrested so he could be sent to an Israeli-run jail where he could study and sit exams.


To find out more see our crisis briefing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



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