Islamabad: Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a dire warning, stating that malnourished babies are slowly succumbing to death while the world looks on. Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, lamented the tragic situation, emphasizing the urgent need for broader and safer humanitarian access in the region.
Recent reports reveal that at least 10 children have tragically lost their lives due to dehydration and malnutrition at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. Ms. Khodr expressed grave concern, highlighting the likelihood of more children battling for survival in the enclave’s few remaining hospitals, with many others unable to access vital care in the north.
“These tragic and horrific deaths are man-made, predictable and entirely preventable”, she said.
The sense of helplessness and despair among parents and healthcare professionals is palpable as lifesaving aid is being forcefully stopped despite it being just a few kilometers away. Ms. Khodr poignantly described the heart-wrenching reality of “babies perishing under the world’s gaze”, underscoring the need for immediate action to avert further tragedies.
UNICEF warns that unless the barriers to humanitarian relief are swiftly addressed and the conflict in Gaza ends, more children will suffer devastating consequences. The dire lack of nutritious food, safe water, and medical services underscores the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access to all parts of Gaza.
In particular, the situation in northern Gaza has reached critical levels, with widespread malnutrition and exhaustion among children and mothers. UNICEF stresses that aid restrictions in the north are exacerbating the crisis, leading to unnecessary loss of innocent lives.
Malnutrition screenings conducted by UNICEF and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) have revealed alarming statistics, with nearly 16 percent – or 1 in 6 children aged two and under in northern Gaza suffering from acute malnutrition.
Ms. Khodr reiterated UNICEF’s urgent plea for reliable and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza, emphasizing the need for multiple entry points to deliver aid effectively. The agency warns that without immediate action to address the humanitarian crisis, the death toll among children will continue to rise exponentially.
UNICEF’s persistent calls for intervention since October have gone unheeded, leading to a worsening situation in Gaza. Now, as the agency’s worst fears materialize with the tragic loss of innocent lives, urgent action is imperative to prevent further suffering and save the lives of Gaza’s most vulnerable population.
It is worth noting that Israeli aggression against Gaza has resulted in a staggering death toll of 30,534 and left 71,920 others injured. The UN reports that 85% of Gaza’s population has been displaced internally, with critical shortages of food, water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, with an interim ruling in January ordering Tel Aviv to cease genocidal acts and ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, which so far has gone unheeded as relentless Israeli attacks on Gaza claim the lives of hundreds of Palestinians daily.
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