2023-12-05 18:04:27
Escalating Health Crisis Poses Severe Risk to Gaza's Youngest
A representative from UNICEF has voiced a grave warning about the increasing danger to the children in Gaza, cautioning that diseases could claim as many lives as the recent series of attacks have done.

The health ministry of the Palestinian territory estimates over 15,500 lives have been lost in Gaza since the conflict erupted, which includes the tragic loss of approximately 6,000 children. This comes after Israel launched a military operation against Hamas, following the militant group's attacks that resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the kidnapping of hundreds more within Israeli borders.
Subsequent to these events, Israel besieged Gaza and initiated a series of missile strikes along with a ground offensive.

Imminent Danger Beyond the Bombardment
According to UNICEF, another looming threat is now presenting itself to the displaced Palestinian people—disease. UNICEF's James Elder told BBC News there are places supposed to be safe havens within Gaza, but in reality, they lack basic necessities such as food, water, and medical supplies, leaving countless people extremely vulnerable.
"We're seeing hundreds of thousands of individuals at their breaking point, forced into areas without the basic infrastructure," Elder remarked. He expressed his concerns, stating, "Now, we face the dual terrors of aerial bombardment and the menace of disease – a perfect storm is forming."

Elder grimly predicted that diseases might cause the death toll among children to surge, potentially equaling if not surpassing, the number of casualties caused by the military actions.
The plight in Gaza has caught the attention of the global community, especially with regard to the availability of humanitarian aid. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has reinforced his plea for a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, the prompt release of all hostages, and an unobstructed flow of humanitarian aid to address the dire needs of the populace across the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its offensive to include southern regions of Gaza, just weeks after encouraging civilians in the north to move south due to an imminent ground invasion threat.
The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that as of late November, there are more than 1.7 million internally displaced Palestinians within Gaza.

Richard Peeperkorn of the World Health Organisation highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating it worsens with each passing hour. The WHO's Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recently urged on social media platform X for Israel to withdraw an order that compelled the WHO to evacuate their medical supplies from a warehouse in southern Gaza, stressing the importance of safeguarding civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and humanitarian facilities.
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