The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has entered a new and alarming phase.
According to UNICEF, since the beginning of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, over 18,000 children have been killed, a shocking figure that translates to an average of 28 children a day – “the equivalent of a school class that no longer exists.”
The alarm was raised by UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban, who has just returned from a five-day mission to Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. His statements describe a chilling reality in the Palestinian territory, where there is no longer just talk of victims, but also of the risk of mass starvation threatening thousands of children.
"Gaza is now at serious risk of famine. The situation has deteriorated significantly. We have two indicators that have crossed the famine threshold," Chaiban declared.
According to the latest data:
One in three people in Gaza goes days without food, while acute malnutrition has reached 16.5%, exceeding the threshold set for declaring an official famine.
UNICEF reports that over 320,000 children are currently at risk of acute malnutrition, which could have irreversible consequences for their health and development if urgent measures are not taken.
"Children in Gaza are dying not only from bombing, but also from hunger. It is a disaster in progress, happening before our eyes," said the senior UNICEF official, calling on the international community for immediate humanitarian intervention.
UNICEF's appeal comes at a time when access to humanitarian aid in Gaza continues to be limited, while hospital structures are collapsing, clean water is lacking and survivors face inhumane living conditions.
This is no longer an ordinary war situation – it is a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions, where children are the invisible victims. And the world, according to UNICEF, can no longer remain indifferent.
