UNICEF: 4 children lose their lives every day in Gaza
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized that the death rate of children in Gaza is rising rapidly and that they are falling victim to war, hunger, disease, and the cold every day. More than 160 children have lost their lives in the last month, and thousands of children are deprived of basic necessities.
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Russell issued a written statement regarding the developments in Gaza.
Recalling that 33 people, including at least 8 children, lost their lives and 50 people were injured in airstrikes during an attack yesterday on the Nuseirat Camp in central Gaza, Russell said, "This latest act of violence has brought the number of children who have lost their lives in Gaza in the last month to over 160. This means that an average of 4 children have lost their lives every day since the beginning of November."
Russell stated that children did not cause the situation in Gaza and have no power to stop it, yet they are paying the heaviest price with their lives and futures.
Pointing out that more than 14,500 children have been killed in Gaza in the last 14 months, Russell emphasized that almost all of the 1.1 million children are in need of urgent protection and mental health support.
Noting that access to humanitarian aid is severely restricted while the threat of famine continues in northern Gaza, Russell stated the following:
"Children and families across Gaza are being constantly displaced, and this situation has displaced 1.9 million people, including hundreds of thousands of children. There is no safe space in Gaza, and with temperatures dropping, children are living in instability, deprived of basic necessities such as food, clean water, medical supplies, and warm clothing."
Pointing out that preventable diseases are spreading rapidly, Russell stated that thousands of children have contracted skin rashes and acute respiratory infections.
Russell expressed, "The world cannot remain indifferent while so many children are exposed to bloodshed, hunger, disease, and the cold on a daily basis."