The humanitarian situation for children in the Gaza Strip remains "absolutely dramatic," despite a ceasefire that has allowed more aid to enter the enclave, according to UNICEF.

Jonathan Crickx, Chief of Communication for UNICEF in the State of Palestine, told CGTN Europe that while the pause in fighting has brought some relief, the living conditions facing displaced families, particularly children, remain dire.

"The ceasefire has brought additional humanitarian aid inside the Gaza strip, but the children that I'm seeing are still barefoot living in makeshift tents and with a piece of plastic tarp on a wooden frame," Crickx said.

Winter weather

He highlighted the worsening conditions caused by winter weather.

"The temperature is dropping at night. Very often in the past weeks it's been raining, those makeshift tents have been completely flooded," explained Crickx. "They are not equipped with toilets, there is not enough access to proper water, proper hygiene facilities, so all this is making the life of the children here in the Gaza Strip absolutely dramatic."

While the ceasefire has offered some release from the intensity of bombardment, Crickx said it has not fully stopped.

"The ceasefire has brought respite for the children. There has been less bombardment, we have still witnessed strikes in the past weeks, including last weekend, but the overall situation is really dire," he said.

According to UNICEF, the scale of destruction and repeated displacement continues to drive the humanitarian crisis.

"More than 1.5 million people have been displaced several times, moving very often with only what they have on the back and living now in makeshift tents or in shelters," said Crickx.

Rafah crossing critical for medical evacuations

The reopening of the Rafah crossing, which allows limited numbers of people to exit and re-enter Gaza each day, is a crucial step for children in urgent need of medical care, Crickx said.

"It's extremely important," he stressed.

Crickx shared the story of a five-year-old girl he met in a displacement camp in Khan Younis.

"I met with Reem who looked like any other child, but she had a huge scar on her belly and she still has shrapnel in her belly. It requires a very advanced type of surgery," said the UNICEF executive.

Reem has already undergone three operations, but further treatment is still required to remove the "bits and pieces of shrapnel" which remain.

Crickx said her case reflects a much broader medical emergency among children in Gaza.

"So the case of Reem is one of 3,000 - 4,000 cases of children who are in need of medical evacuation either because they have been a victim of the war, or because they have cancer, leukemia, they need a heart transplant - all things that cannot be treated inside the Gaza Strip," explained Crickx.

He added that the crossing is also essential for family reunification.

"It's very important that the Rafah crossing point opens. It's an important step, an important development, and we really hope and advocate for an extension so that more children can exit and enter the Gaza Strip."

Rebuilding Gaza's health system

With estimates suggesting that up to 20,000 people may need medical evacuation, Crickx warned that the current pace is insufficient.

"If the pace stays like this, I'm not that good at math, but I can tell you it's going to take a long time. And this is why it's absolutely important that these figures increase," he urged.

Beyond evacuations, Crickx stressed that rebuilding Gaza's healthcare system is essential.

He said only half of Gaza's hospitals are partially operational, with the rest destroyed or completely non-functional.

Ultimately, UNICEF says treating children inside Gaza must be the priority.

"So we need to rebuild the hospitals," said Crickx. "We need to be able to treat children here inside Gaza, because that is the preferred solution, as opposed to having the children exit the area to get the medical treatment they are entitled to have."