WASHINGTON

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday urged the international community to act swiftly to prevent the mass death of children in the Gaza Strip, where conditions continue to deteriorate amid Israel’s ongoing war.

"Today, I want to keep the focus on Gaza, because it's in Gaza where the suffering is most acute and where children are dying at an unprecedented rate.

"We are at a crossroads, and the choices made now will determine whether tens of thousands of children live or die," Ted Chaiban, UNICEF deputy executive director, said at a briefing on his recent travel to the Middle East.

Visiting both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, including both Gaza and the West Bank, Chaiban said this was his fourth visit to Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023.

"You see the images on the news, and you know what has happened, but it's still shocking when you're there; the marks of deep suffering and hunger are visible on the faces of families and children," he said.

Over 18,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war, he underlined.

"Gaza now faces a grave risk of famine. ... One in three people in Gaza are going days without food, and the malnutrition indicator has exceeded the famine threshold, with global acute malnutrition now at over 16.5%. Today, more than 320,000 young children are at risk of acute malnutrition," he added.

What is happening on the ground is "inhumane," he said, adding that what children need from all communities is a sustained ceasefire and a political way forward.

When asked whether he sees any difference after more and more countries are airdropping aid into Gaza, Chaiban said: "Look, at this stage, every modality needs to be used, every gate, every route, every modality, but airdrops cannot replace the volume and the scale that convoys by road can achieve."

Chaiban stressed that it is needed to move back towards a volume of around 500 trucks a day through all routes, and that includes both humanitarian and commercial aid.