UNICEF sees aid shortfall for Palestinian children

GENEVA, March 14 (Reuters) - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday it is short of money needed to help young Palestinians eat, attend school and shield themselves from pervasive Middle East violence.

In a report to donors, UNICEF said it urgently needed $6.2 million to address "a sharp deterioration in the humanitarian situation" in the Palestinian territories since the Islamic militant Hamas group won elections in January.

Nearly one in ten children under age five in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are so malnourished that it has stunted their growth, while newborns often lack medical care, the agency said.

"The ongoing violence, as well as the impact of distressing events from the years of conflict, means children continue to be vulnerable," the report, released in Geneva, said.

Since January, UNICEF estimated that 50 Palestinian children have been injured and 11 died in ongoing violence between Palestinians and Israelis, who each lay claim to the land seeped in religious symbolism.

Attacks by both sides and Israeli restrictions imposed on Palestinian movements have kept many children away from schools and stripped chances for fun, sports and play, UNICEF said.

It said youth clubs in the West Bank and Gaza "lack funding, are poorly managed and poorly equipped," compounding a growing sense of alienation among many adolescents.

Money was also needed to pay for polio and other vaccines, antibiotics and medical supplies for children and mothers.

UNICEF's total 2006 aid appeal is for $8.4 million though the agency said it will shortly review the requested amount "in view of the evolving situation" in the Palestinian territories.

Spokesman Damien Personnaz said diplomatic concerns over the landslide victory of Hamas -- listed in the United States as a terrorist group -- may partially explain the slow response to the UNICEF appeal this year.

He told a U.N. briefing that big donor countries "are still relatively timid about their actions with relation to the new Palestinian leaders".

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this week the United States hoped to increase its aid to the Palestinian people but would not give directly to a Hamas-led government.

Earlier this month, on Washington's request, the interim Palestinian Authority returned $30 million in U.S. assistance and has promised to refund a further $20 million before Hamas takes over, possibly by the end of March.

In its report, UNICEF said that Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands had indicated they are considering aid and the European Commission may support psychological and social assistance projects for Palestinian children.

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