UNITED NATIONS, Jumada I 26, 1436, Mar 17, 2015, SPA -- The U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday that roughly nine million children have seen “death and suffering beyond their comprehension,” and they must be protected during the fight against Ebola. UNICEF said in a report that of the more than 24,000 people infected, roughly 5,000 are children, while more than 16,000 children have lost one or both parents or their primary caregiver. “For many of the nine million children living in affected areas, Ebola has been terrifying,” the agency said. “These children have seen death and suffering beyond their comprehension.” The report also pointed to the central role communities are playing in the response and shows encouraging trends in safe behaviors. “In Liberia, for example, a survey indicates that 72 percent of people believe anyone with Ebola symptoms will get better care at a treatment center, which is significant because many used to keep Ebola victims at home, spreading infection in the community,” UNICEF said. The U.N. agency noted that investing in improving healthcare systems in Ebola-affected countries will help tackle other diseases such as measles, pneumonia, and diarrhea, which take a heavy toll on children. --SPA 20:29 LOCAL TIME 17:29 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w