The UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has issued an urgent plea for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered access to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza Strip. The dire situation in Gaza has led to a staggering toll on children, with over 2,360 reported fatalities and 5,364 injuries in the past 18 days. This equates to more than 400 children either killed or injured daily.
UNICEF highlights the pervasive trauma experienced by virtually every child in Gaza, characterized by extensive destruction, relentless attacks, forced displacement, and critical shortages of vital resources like food, water, and medicine. The organization underscores that the targeting of children, the abduction of minors, assaults on medical facilities and schools, and the obstruction of humanitarian efforts represent severe violations of children’s rights.
Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, emphasizes that even amidst conflict, there must be a commitment to safeguarding civilians, especially children. Khodr urges all parties involved to agree to an immediate ceasefire, permit unimpeded humanitarian access, and release all hostages, emphasizing the importance of adhering to international humanitarian norms.
The West Bank has also witnessed a distressing surge in casualties, with nearly a hundred Palestinians losing their lives, including 28 children, and at least 160 children sustaining injuries. Prior to the tragic events of October 7, 2023, children in the West Bank were already grappling with the highest levels of conflict-related violence in two decades.
UNICEF stresses the urgent need for humanitarian aid, including food, water, medical supplies, and fuel, to be allowed into Gaza. Access to uninterrupted power is vital for essential facilities like hospitals, desalination plants, and water pumping stations. The current water crisis, affecting nearly half of Gaza’s population, poses grave consequences for children. Most water systems have been severely impacted, reducing production capacity to a mere 5% of its usual daily output.
To address this critical situation, UNICEF calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the opening of all access points into Gaza for safe and sustained delivery of aid, allowance for urgent medical cases to receive critical health services, and the protection of civilian infrastructure, including shelters, schools, and essential facilities. This collective effort aims to prevent further loss of civilian and children’s lives, disease outbreaks, and to provide crucial care to the sick and wounded.
