Also Read
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
As Gaza Nears a Dooms Day-Like Situation, As Many As 14,000 Babies Could Die In Next 48 Hours, The UN Warns
Gaza News: The United Nations has issued a warning that as many as 14,000 babies could die in Gaza within 48 hours if more aid fails to enter the premises of the war-torn enclave. Israeli authorities are mercilessly restricting the aid from entering the Palestinian territory post 11 weeks of a complete Gaza blockade. There is persistent pressure from its allies including the US, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.
Several countries, including France, Spain, and the UK, have summoned Israeli ambassadors post a brutal act by the Israeli forces where they fired towards a group of diplomats in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. There have been parallel attacks by the Israeli forces on several parts of Lebanon's south, including the villages of Aitoun and Yater, killing at least three people.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has said that a mere five trucks carrying humanitarian aid, which included food and other things for necessities, reached Gaza on Monday after days of extreme-level blockade by Israel. He further informed that the help is yet to reach the war-struck people.
Also Read
Also Read
Also Read
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, while speaking to BBC's Radio 4, said.
"There are 14000 babies that will die in the next 48 hours unless we can reach them. We run all sorts of risks trying to get that baby food through to those mothers who cannot feed their children right now because they are malnourished."
The UN official's comments was made after an incident where the leaders of Britain, France and Canada on Monday condemned Israel's "egregious actions" in Gaza and further warned of a collective action if it did not stop restrictions on humanitarian aid. The collective statement was made by the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and it deplored Israel's blocking of aid in Gaza and the comments that were raised by officials in the Netanyahu's government.
He has further informed that a mere five trucks carrying humanitarian aid reached Gaza on Monday after days of extreme-level blockade by Israel. The aid included food and other things for necessities. The help is yet to reach the war-struck people.
The United Nations aims to continue providing help by directing baby food and other necessary supplies in the territory of Gaza.
Fletcher praised the move of these countries and termed the act of three Israeli allies "robust words" and a welcome ratcheting up of the international position.
While underlying the sheer achievements of the United Nations and its volunteers in Gaza he said that the United Nations is working in several places such as medical centers and schools to assess need. Despite the alarming number of people who have been killed, there are still many people on the ground working at vulnerable sites, assessing the situation and assisting the war victims.
This escalating humanitarian disaster is no longer just about the loss of infrastructure or displacement it's a full-blown health emergency, with the youngest and most vulnerable paying the highest price. We reached out to experts to understand what may happen in the next 48 hours in Gaza, if humanitarian aid fails to reach the place on time.
UNICEF and other UN agencies have raised an alarm, stressing that basic health services in Gaza are affected due to the ongoing war. Hospitals are non-functional or overwhelmed - this has directly affected the neonatal care units. Most of these units are running with less number of staffs and many premature babies are forced to survive without incubators, sterile equipment, or essential drugs.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only a handful of hospitals are still partially functional in Gaza. Even those are running on limited fuel, short-staffed, and lacking in supplies like antibiotics, painkillers, and even oxygen.
One of the most pressing health concerns in Gaza right now is severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among infants and toddlers. With food supply lines disrupted and clean water scarce, many children are suffering from wasting, stunted growth, and diarrhea all of which are fatal without medical intervention.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that many families have resorted to feeding their children unsafe water and scraps, heightening the risk of cholera and gastrointestinal infections.
Recently, Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief's spokesperson, highlighted the failure of aid to reach Gaza as she said that no humanitarian supplies have been able to leave the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing in southern Israel to enter the Gaza Strip, highlighting that these supplies are a drop of water in the ocean and insufficient to meet the expansive needs of people in Gaza.
Despite the ceasefire, the situation in Gaza remains grave with recurrent sights of children dying and families devastated in the face of war.