International
Gaza children face worsening crisis amid Israeli bombardment: UNICEF
The situation for children in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly, with worsening shortages of food, water, and medicine, compounded by Israeli airstrikes and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid, a UNICEF spokesperson warned on Tuesday.
During a UN press briefing in Geneva, James Elder stated that many Gaza children have been displaced multiple times since the war began over a year ago.
“Each day, these deprivations grow,” Elder stressed, highlighting that 85% of Gaza is now under evacuation orders, and conditions are “unlivable.”
He also pointed out a significant drop in humanitarian aid in August, marking the lowest levels since the conflict began. Recently, no commercial trucks have been allowed to enter Gaza, further worsening the crisis.
Elder warned that unless the aid restrictions are lifted and airstrikes stop, the situation for children will continue to deteriorate.
“Day by day, it gets worse for children, and it will continue as long as strikes persist and humanitarian aid is restricted,” he said. “Hard as it is to imagine, tomorrow will be even worse for these children than today.”
Save the Children International echoed this concern, calling the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) “the deadliest place in the world for children,” reporting that at least 3,100 children under five have been killed in Gaza, with many facing the risk of severe malnutrition as famine looms.
Israel has continued its offensive on Gaza following a Hamas attack on October 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council call for a cease-fire. Local health authorities report nearly 42,300 deaths, mostly women and children, and over 98,600 injuries.
The Israeli campaign has displaced almost the entire Gaza population, with a blockade causing critical shortages of basic supplies. Mediation efforts by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to negotiate a cease-fire and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas have collapsed due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to halt military operations.
Israel is currently facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.
