BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The number of Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces in 2018 increased sharply from the previous year and reached 57 compared to 15 in 2017, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said in a report published on Thursday marking Palestinian Child Day, which coincides on Friday.
The PCBS report said that based on data provided by the Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP), among the 57 children killed in 2018 five were in the age group of 0 to 12 years, 29 in the age group of 13 to 15 years, and 23 children were in the age group of 16 to 17 years.
The PCBS also said that according to data released by the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, 1,063 children were among around 6,500 detention cases in 2018, and among around 6,000 Palestinian detainees by end of 2018, 250 were children under 18 years of age.
It also said that the percentage of children who were living in poverty rose from 27% in 2011 to 31% in 2017, which is 645,000 children (14% in the West Bank, and 53% in Gaza Strip). In 2017, the percentage of children who were suffering from deep poverty was 17% (5% in the West Bank, and 34% in Gaza Strip). While in 2011, it was 14% (8% in the West Bank, and 22% in Gaza Strip).
The percentage of employed children remained low at only 3% and includes both paid or unpaid employment in the age group of 10 to 17 years with 4% in the West Bank and 1.3% in Gaza Strip and 5.5% males and 0.2% females.
The percentage of children enrolled in schools and engaged in the labor market reached 0.8% (1.1% in the West Bank compared to 0.4% in Gaza Strip and 1.5% males compared to 0.2% females).
The PCBS report said estimated number of children under 18 years was 2,226,077 in Palestine in by mid-2019, with 1,139,311 males, and 1,086,766 females. Children in Palestine comprise 45% of the total population (43% in the West Bank, and 48% in Gaza Strip).
PCBS also said that despite the significant decrease in the percentage of early marriage in Palestine; still, one-fifth of the registered marriage contracts included female children.
Data of the Population, Housing, and Establishments Census 2017 showed a decrease in the percentage of women (20-24 years) who were married before the age of 18 years from 30% in 1997 to 11% in 2017.
The data of registered marriages contracts showed a decline in the percentage of early marriage for both males and females (less than 18 years). The percentage of females under 18 years of age who got married during the year 2017 is around 20% of the total number of married females in the same year (19% in the West Bank, and around 21% in Gaza Strip). Whereas the percentage of 2010 was 24%.
The percentage of males under 18 years of age who got married in 2017 is around 1% of the total number of married males during the same year. Whereas the percentage was 1.5% in 2010, according to the database of marriages and divorces in Palestine.
The primary data for the scholastic year 2018/2019 showed that the number of school students in Palestine reached about 1.289 million students, of which 1.048 million were students in the elementary stage (50.4% males and 49.6% females), and 241,000 students in the high school (45% males and 55% females).
While the number of children enrolled in kindergartens in the scholastic year 2018/2019 in Palestine reached about 148,000 children (51% males and 49% females).
The scholastic year of 2016/2017 witnessed a drop-out rate of 1.1% among males compared to 0.8% among females. When comparing the drop-out rate based on the grade, the highest rate is amongst males in the tenth and eleventh grades. Whereas the highest drop-out rate among females was in the eleventh and twelfth grades, according to the database of the education survey for the scholastic year of 2017/2018.
According to the Population, Housing and Establishments Census of 2017, there were 18,206 children (0-17 years) suffered from at least one type of disability, (7,729 children in the West Bank, and 10,477 children in Gaza Strip). (10,771 male children and 7,435 female children).
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