The United Nations has stated that around 10 percent of the Palestinian kids are suffering from malnutrition, local media reports said. UNRWA, or the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, noted Israeli refusal to allow aid into Gaza is a key reason for this.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA chief, stated that there are “severe shortages of nutrition supplies” in the war-torn city. He said the conditions in Gaza, which have fueled the starvation of children, are completely “man-made.”
United Nations Press For More Aid In Gaza Despite Israeli Blockage
He urged that the UN should seek more “humanitarian assistance” for the children living in the city.
Lazzarini also warned that a ceasefire must be announced as soon as possible to stop the killings of Palestinians.
He mentioned that around 870 aid seekers have lost their lives while trying to access food from the sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an organization formed by American and Israeli groups.
Another UN official noted that materials necessary for survival, such as medicine, nutrition products, and fuel, could end quickly without proper backing of supplies.
The official added that more than 6,000 trucks of humanitarian aid for Gaza are waiting outside the walls of the city, but Israeli reluctance to allow them in is worsening the conditions, reports said.
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Meanwhile, Andee Clark Vaughan, a nurse working with the UN body, accused Israel of taking away the baby formula from healthcare workers.
Vaughan said that Palestinian mothers are failing to produce breast milk and relying on mixing water with lentils or beans to feed their infants.
According to UNICEF, more than 5,800 children in Gaza are malnourished. This also includes about 1,000 children, who are severely affected.
Rights groups across the world have urged a ceasefire and more humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The war between Israel and Hamas has resulted in the killings of at least 58,500 Palestinians since it began around 21 months ago on Oct 8, 2023.
Reports say that around 20,000 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
