In a dire warning issued Monday, United Nations agencies raised the alarm over a looming catastrophe in Gaza, where a combination of severe food shortages, rampant malnutrition, and widespread disease threatens to unleash a wave of preventable child deaths.
After enduring twenty weeks of conflict, the Gaza Strip finds itself on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, with UNICEF's deputy head of humanitarian action, Ted Chaiban, expressing grave concern over the situation.
The scarcity of food and safe water has reached critical levels, leaving virtually all young children vulnerable to infectious illnesses.
According to a joint assessment by UN agencies focusing on children, food, and health, a staggering 90% of children under five in Gaza are grappling with one or more infectious diseases.
Shockingly, 70% of these children have suffered from diarrhoea in the past two weeks alone, marking a dramatic 23-fold increase compared to data from 2022.
Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization's emergencies director, emphasized the lethal combination of hunger and disease, warning that malnourished and traumatized children are at heightened risk of falling ill.
"Hungry, weakened, and deeply traumatised children are more likely to get sick," he stated, highlighting the devastating consequences of the crisis unfolding in Gaza.
Since the commencement of Israel's assault on Gaza, the toll on human lives has been staggering, with over 29,000 people, predominantly women and children, reported killed according to the Gaza health ministry. The conflict has plunged Gaza into a state of nutrition crisis, exacerbated by severe restrictions on outside aid.
Amid mounting concerns for the welfare of Gaza's children, urgent international intervention is desperately needed to avert a catastrophic escalation in child deaths. The situation demands immediate action to ensure access to vital supplies, including food, clean water, and medical aid, to prevent further suffering and loss of innocent lives in the besieged enclave.
