The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has warned of the "extremely alarming" conditions facing children in Palestine, where they live in a state of extreme fear and anxiety.In a statement Sunday following a field visit to the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Unicef Middle East and North Africa regional director Edouard Beigbeder indicated that nearly all of the 2.4mn children are affected in some way. Some children live with tremendous fear or anxiety; others face the real consequences of deprivation of humanitarian assistance and protection, displacement, destruction, or death.He pointed out that without aid entering the Gaza Strip, roughly 1mn children are living without the very basics they need to survive.Beigbeder said that in the West Bank, more than 200 Palestinian children were killed since October 2023, the highest figure recorded in such timeframe in the past two decades."Children must not be killed, injured, or displaced and all parties must respect their obligations under international law. Civilians' essential and protection needs must be met, and humanitarian assistance must be allowed to flow at speed and scale," he said.The Israeli occupation has been waging a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, destroying infrastructure, decimating economic, commercial, and industrial facilities, as well as governmental and community institutions, and resulting in the deaths and injuries of approximately 160,000 people.The occupied West Bank has witnessed an escalation in Israeli attacks in recent months, with occupation forces intensifying arrests, including of children, and indiscriminate shooting in various Palestinian cities and towns.Meanwhile, a government official in Gaza stated that 80% of the population has lost access to food sources due to Israeli occupation's closure of the border crossings. The blockade halted distribution of aid and meals by relief organisations and charitable kitchens, as food supplies have run out.The head of emergency committee at the ministry of social development, Riyad al-Bitar, warned that the coming days will bring further deterioration in the already dire humanitarian situation. He highlighted the deepening famine, worsening food and water insecurity, and the near-total collapse of essential services and healthcare in Gaza Strip.Al-Bitar stated that 15 days after Israeli occupation shut down Gaza's border crossings and blocked the entry of humanitarian aid and essential supplies, the signs of famine and extreme food insecurity have become increasingly evident, shaping the daily reality of Palestinians in Gaza.In addition to the severe food shortages affecting 80% of the population, he noted that bread availability has declined significantly, with 25% of bakeries shutting down. Many more are on the brink of closure due to fuel shortages.Al-Bitar also emphasised a severe and worsening crisis in household water supply, with an even greater shortage of drinking water. He revealed that 90% of Gaza's residents now lack access to a reliable water source, as municipalities are forced to ration the operation of wells to conserve the remaining fuel and ensure water distribution for as long as possible.The humanitarian crisis also paralysed municipal projects, including clearing rubble and waste from the streets. Authorities have redirected their limited fuel resources toward running water wells, exacerbating the suffering of residents and creating serious environmental and health hazards especially as temperatures rise.He further pointed out that many residents resorted to using firewood instead of cooking gas, a shift that poses severe health and environmental risks and increases respiratory illnesses. The shortage of essential materials has also hindered efforts to provide displaced families with tents and slowed the construction of new shelters.Head of emergency committee at the ministry of social development in Gaza confirmed that transportation in Gaza has nearly ground to a halt due to the fuel crisis, making it extremely difficult for residents to move around, including those seeking medical care. Hospitals and medical centres are struggling to function as a result.Al-Bitar stressed that the current situation in Gaza paints a grim picture of what over 2.4mn residents are enduring, saying that the occupation sentenced them to a slow death tightening the siege, cutting off every means of survival, and turning Gaza into an open-air prison.The World Food Programme (WFP) recently confirmed that it has not been able to deliver any food supplies to Gaza since March 2, as Israeli authorities have sealed off all border crossings to humanitarian and commercial shipments.