Gaza: Unicef ​​speaks of longings for death and fantasies of hunger among children

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Unicef ​​speaks of longings for death and fantasies of hunger among children in Gaza

Children in the Gaza Strip are primarily cared for by aid organizations, such as the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinians (UNRWA) or the Red Crescent

© Mohammed Talatene / DPA

2.4 million people live in the Gaza Strip – unfortunately most of them are starving. The United Nations Children’s Fund is now recording in a report how badly children and young people in particular are doing.

Children and young people in the Gaza Strip are becoming increasingly desperate in view of the devastating supply situation. Children dreamed of a slice of cucumber or begged for a tomato, UN Children’s Fund UNICEF spokesman James Elder reported on Tuesday from the Gaza Strip. In an interview with Unicef, young people said they hoped to die in the next attack so that the nightmare of their lives would end. There are completely emaciated children in the hospitals, and the few functioning incubators are full of premature babies whose lives hang by a thread.

The hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip is “man-made,” emphasized Elder. Hundreds of trucks with food are waiting at the borders, but are not allowed to enter. “Vital assistance is being hindered,” he said.

Almost everyone in Gaza is starving

According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinians (UNRWA), Israel is now refusing entry permits to all of its convoys. In addition to the United Nations, Red Crescent organizations also distribute relief supplies. Elder appealed to Israeli authorities to open border crossings in the north. This could end the hunger crisis within a few days.

A representative in the Israeli military authority, which coordinates emergency aid, said last week in Geneva that there are no restrictions on aid convoys. Rather, the problem lies in the Gaza Strip because the actors there are apparently unable to bring material to the people. A spokesman for the UN emergency relief office OCHA said on Tuesday in Geneva that it was Israel’s duty as a party to the conflict to ensure that food for the civilian population can be distributed without restrictions.


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According to Elder, there is only one toilet for 800 people in Rafah in the south of the country. The standard in disaster situations is to provide at least one toilet for 20 people.

According to the UN World Food Program (WFP), the 2.4 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are on the brink of famine. Due to the closure of the Gaza Strip, several countries have already dropped aid supplies from the air to help the people on site. The Bundeswehr is also taking part.

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