UNICEF says worsening famine in Gaza threatens thousands of children
Around 15-20% of children screened are malnourished, far above emergency thresholds, spokesperson Tess Ingram tells Anadolu
GENEVA
UNICEF has warned that Gaza, where Israel continues its genocidal war, is facing a severe food crisis that could get worse.
UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram told Anadolu in an interview that malnutrition rates among children are extremely high and families are struggling to find enough food and water for their children.
Around 15-20% of children screened are malnourished, far above emergency thresholds, she said, adding that more than 110 children in Gaza have already died of hunger, with over half of these deaths occurring this year.
Ingram said no area in Gaza is safe amid ongoing bombardments and that humanitarian aid is insufficient.
"In Gaza City this week, I've been to a number of malnutrition clinics, and we're seeing really high rates of malnutrition among children. The general sense is that 15 to 20% of children who are screened are malnourished, which is very high. This is higher than famine thresholds," she said.
The spokesperson warned of the urgent risk to children’s lives. "There is a risk that more children will be killed from starvation if the situation doesn't change. Already, more than 110 children have died from malnutrition in the Gaza Strip. Half of those deaths have occurred this year, more than half.
"So it's escalated quickly, and we need to bring in the aid necessary to save their lives. Let's be clear, this can be solved. It is preventable. It is a result of man-made decisions that are being made. So it can also be remedied. It can be something that we stop, if we bring in the supplies that these children need."
"The best medicine for a famine is a ceasefire," Ingram said. "But failing that, we need to get all the crossings open, we need to flood the Gaza Strip with aid, and we need the operating conditions on the ground so that agencies like UNICEF can easily, safely, quickly take that aid from the crossing to the families that need it. We are doing it now but we need to be able to do much more of it. That's the important thing."
The Israeli army has killed more than 63,600 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
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