The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced in a statement today, Friday, that children in the Gaza Strip are facing a deadly triple threat, with rising disease cases, declining nutrition, and the escalation of hostilities approaching its fourteenth week. UNICEF added, "Thousands of children have already died due to violence, while living conditions for children continue to deteriorate rapidly, with increasing cases of diarrhea and rising food poverty among children, which increases the risk of rising child mortality."
The statement clarified, "Children in Gaza are trapped in a nightmare that worsens with each passing day." UNICEF's Executive Director, Catherine Russell, stated, "Children and families in the Gaza Strip continue to be killed and injured in the fighting, and their lives are increasingly at risk due to preventable diseases, as well as a lack of food and water. All children and civilians must be protected from violence and enabled to access essential services and supplies."
The statement further explained, "Diarrhea cases among children under the age of five have risen from 48,000 to 71,000 in just one week starting December 17, equivalent to 3,200 new diarrhea cases daily. The significant increase in cases in such a short time frame is a strong indicator that children's health in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly. Before the escalation of hostilities, an average of 2,000 diarrhea cases per month had been recorded among children under five. This recent rise represents a staggering increase of about 2,000 percent."
UNICEF noted that "an increasing number of children are not receiving their basic nutritional needs, with about 90 percent of children under the age of two consuming two or fewer food groups, according to a survey conducted by UNICEF on December 26." The organization pointed out that "the deteriorating situation raises concerns about acute malnutrition and mortality beyond famine thresholds. UNICEF is particularly concerned about the nutrition of more than 155,000 pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, as well as over 135,000 children under the age of two, due to their specific nutritional needs and vulnerabilities."
According to the statement, "the conflict has damaged or destroyed water, sanitation, and basic health systems in the Gaza Strip and has limited the capacity to treat acute malnutrition." UNICEF called for "the resumption of trade movement to enable restocking of shops, and for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons to help save civilian lives and alleviate suffering."
