The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says the number of child deaths reported in the Gaza Strip in four months is higher than that for all wars around the world in the four previous years, writes nhk.or.jp.

Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, posted related data on social media on Tuesday. They are based on information from Gaza"s health authorities.

They show that from last October through February, more than 12,300 children died in the enclave.

The agency says the number of children who died in conflicts worldwide in 2019 through 2022 was 12,193.

Lazzarini said, “This war is a war on children. It is a war on their childhood and their future”, and called for an immediate ceasefire “for the sake of children in Gaza”.