The Gaza media office has issued a grave warning that Israel's policy of starvation threatens the lives of more than 3,500 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip. The statement released on Monday highlights a severe humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by what they describe as "deafening international silence."
According to the media office, "more than 3,500 children under the age of five are at risk of death in Gaza due to Israeli policies of starving children." The statement underscores the dire shortage of essential supplies, including milk, food, nutritional supplements, and vaccinations, critical for the survival and health of young children.
The situation has deteriorated further since early May, following Israel's military incursion in Rafah. The assault has severely disrupted access to healthcare, with Israeli forces closing borders to wounded individuals seeking treatment and blocking already limited humanitarian aid. This blockade has compounded the crisis, leaving many without necessary medical assistance.
UNICEF has echoed these concerns, warning that the ongoing conflict in Rafah represents a disaster for children. Jonathan Crickx, UNICEF's chief of communication for Palestine, stated, "If nutrition supplies, especially ready-to-use therapeutic food, used to address malnutrition among children, cannot be distributed, the treatment of more than 3,000 children with acute malnutrition will be interrupted." UNICEF's director of private fundraising and partnerships added that many children are now malnourished or disabled due to the conflict.
The crisis in Gaza has displaced approximately 1.7 million people, half of whom are children. These displaced individuals face severe shortages of water, food, fuel, and medicine, intensifying their plight.
Adding to the tragedy, a Palestinian child reportedly starved to death in central Gaza, as confirmed by the Palestinian official news agency Wafa on Saturday. This death underscores the lethal impact of the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the urgent need for international intervention.
The media office's statement calls for immediate global attention and action to alleviate the suffering of Gaza's children and ensure the provision of critical humanitarian aid.
