The United Nations warned on Sunday that unless humanitarian supplies are immediately increased, child deaths in the Gaza Strip will “rapidly increase”, further increasing pressure on the Israeli government over the humanitarian situation in the Israel-Hamas war. .
More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, including more than 100 civilians shot dead by Israeli forces on Thursday as they sought help. There is.
Adel Khodor, regional director of the United Nations children’s aid agency, said the large number of child deaths reported in Gaza were “man-made, predictable and completely preventable.”
“The widespread lack of nutritious food, safe water and health services is a direct result of the access barriers and multiple risks facing UN humanitarian operations, particularly for children and mothers in the northern Gaza Strip. , and interfering with your ability to breastfeed your baby,” she said. statement. “People are hungry, exhausted and traumatized. Many are clinging to life.”
The Biden administration has increased pressure on the Israeli government in recent days over humanitarian aid, launching airdrop operations in the Gaza Strip to deliver aid and increasing rhetoric criticizing the Israeli government. .
Early Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris said there were “no excuses” and called on the Israeli government to increase aid supplies amid a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
Hodor said the situation is most dire in northern Gaza, where fighting has been going on longest and aid is harder to reach. He said about 16% of children tested in January showed signs of malnutrition.
“Unicef has been warning since October that a humanitarian crisis is brewing and, if left unchecked, the death toll in the Gaza Strip will rise sharply,” she said. “The situation is only going to get worse, so much so that last week we warned that child deaths could explode if the burgeoning nutrition crisis is not resolved.”
“The child deaths we feared are now a reality and are likely to increase rapidly unless the war ends and barriers to humanitarian assistance are quickly resolved,” she said. added.
President Biden supports a six-week ceasefire to allow vital aid to flow into Gaza. The Associated Press reported that the Israeli government agreed to a proposed ceasefire framework on Saturday, marking progress in tense negotiations.
Harris is scheduled to meet with Israeli Cabinet Secretary Benny Gantz at the White House on Monday to discuss the ceasefire and humanitarian aid. The New York Times reported. The planned talks reportedly angered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who did not authorize the visit. era of israel.
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