Khaberni - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), today, Saturday, recorded about 9,300 cases of severe malnutrition among children under the age of five in the Gaza Strip during last October, warning of the worsening humanitarian situation with the arrival of winter and shortage of food supplies.
The organization stated in a press release that high levels of malnutrition "endanger children's lives", noting that winter increases the risks of diseases and mortality rates among the most vulnerable groups. It explained that nutrition examinations indicated a sharp increase in cases of nutritional deficiency, in the context of a shortage of basic materials and rising prices of animal-sourced foods, making them unaffordable for the majority of the population in the sector.
UNICEF's Executive Director, Catherine Russell, added that "thousands of children under five are still suffering from severe malnutrition, while many lack adequate shelter, sanitation, and protection from the cold," emphasizing that "hunger, disease, and harsh climate conditions endanger the lives of children in Gaza."
Stuck Supplies
The organization reported that large quantities of winter supplies are still stuck at the borders of Gaza, and called for the aid to be entered "safely and swiftly without obstacles" and for all crossings to be opened simultaneously to accelerate the relief flow, including Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank.
This comes at a time when a recent weather depression last week damaged 22,000 tents for displaced people, leaving more than 288,000 families without protection from the cold and rain, according to the government media office in Gaza. The sector needs about 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to secure basic shelter needs amidst widespread destruction caused by the extended Israeli war since October 2023.
Targeting and Condemnation
In this context, the spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jens Laerke, said that despite the ceasefire agreement, UN employees and facilities continue to be attacked.
He clarified that an Israeli helicopter bombed a school garden belonging to UNRWA in Jabalia on November 24th, and gunmen fired at a team from the UN Office for Project Services in Deir al-Balah on the 25th of the same month, without casualties.
Laerke stressed the necessity of respecting international humanitarian law that ensures the protection of civilians, humanitarian workers, relief convoys, and civil infrastructure, adding, "These attacks pose a grave danger to UN employees and our partners from international organizations, compounding the challenges of life-saving efforts."
Israel continues to violate the ceasefire agreement signed with Hamas, having registered about 497 breaches since October 10, last year, resulting in the martyrdom of more than 342 Palestinians, according to governmental data in Gaza.
