GAZA, (The Palestine Foundation Pakistan)James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, expressed astonishment at the lack of international action despite the killing of around 20,000 children in Gaza, including 1,000 infants.
In press statements on Wednesday, Elder noted that one-third of births in Gaza are now premature, amid a severe shortage of neonatal care equipment.
“Two years of hellish war have brought devastation to Gaza’s children. As many as 64,000 children have been killed or maimed across the Strip, including no less than 1,000 newborns. We don’t even know how many have died from preventable diseases or were buried under rubble,” he said.
He stressed that the denial of food and incubators only worsens the already dire conditions for children and newborns.
“Israeli authorities are ordering all residents of Gaza City, including thousands of children, to move south,” Elder added, “but people in northern Gaza have no idea where to go, and displacement zones are not safe.”
He further emphasized that repeated forced displacement is intensifying psychological trauma and distress among children.
“Everyone knows that rebuilding Gaza’s future depends on raising an educated generation. Education is the key to the future,” he concluded.
