The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that more than 13,000 Palestinian children were killed and thousands more were injured during the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
On Sunday, March 17, UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell told the American CBS network that in addition to the children killed in Gaza, many others are missing.
“Thousands more have been injured or we can’t even determine where they are. They may be stuck under rubble… We haven’t seen that rate of death among children in almost any other conflict in the world.”
“I’ve been in wards of children who are suffering from severe anaemia malnutrition, the whole ward is absolutely quiet. Because the children, the babies… don’t even have the energy to cry.”
She expressed concerns about the bureaucratic difficulties in transporting aid trucks to the besieged Palestinian territory, where hunger and malnutrition are prevalent.
On Saturday, March 16, UNRWA announced that malnutrition in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels, affecting one in every three children under two years of age.
UNRWA has issued a warning that Gazans are on the brink of famine and emphasized the urgent need for the largest possible number of people to receive the necessary aid.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 31,645 Palestinians, primarily women and children, and displacement of nearly two million residents since October 7.
