1 month ago
Last Updated: March 04, 2024, 13:11 IST
Gaza
People mourn following an early morning incident when residents rushed toward aid trucks in Gaza City on February 29, 2024. (AFP)
Urgent UN warning: Child deaths to surge in Gaza without increased aid. Biden pressures Israel amid escalating conflict. Ceasefire negotiations progress
Raising concerns about the obstacles to aid in Gaza, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Sunday said that the tragic and horrific deaths of children in the Palestinian territory are man-made, predictable, and entirely preventable.
“The child deaths we feared are here, as malnutrition ravages the Gaza Strip. At least ten children have reportedly died because of dehydration and malnutrition in Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Northern Gaza Strip in recent days,” said Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, in a statement on Marc 3.
Khodr said there are likely more children fighting for their lives somewhere in one of Gaza’s few remaining hospitals, and likely even more children in the north unable to obtain care at all. “These tragic and horrific deaths are man-made, predictable and entirely preventable,” she added.
The UNICEF official issued a stark warning regarding the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region amid Israel’s war against Hamas. She stressed the dire consequences of widespread shortages in essential resources such as food, water, and medical services, particularly in the Northern Gaza Strip.
She said that the disparities in aid availability between the north and south regions underscore the urgent need for unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance. This warning comes as malnutrition screenings conducted by UN agencies reveal alarming rates of acute malnourishment among children under two years old, with significantly higher numbers in areas facing aid restrictions.
Khodr stressed that the situation has reached a critical point, with the looming threat of a dramatic increase in child deaths if immediate action is not taken. She highlighted the anguish of parents and healthcare providers as they witness preventable tragedies unfold due to inaccessible lifesaving aid.
