UNICEF Urges Urgent Aid for Children in Gaza and West Bank

UNICEF has issued an urgent appeal for humanitarian aid to reach children in Gaza and the West Bank, warning that delays could lead to devastating consequences.

UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder described the situation as critical, emphasizing that all 2.4 million children in these regions are affected.

According to Beigbeder, one million children in Gaza are struggling to survive due to blocked aid deliveries, while 4,000 newborns are at risk as medical facilities collapse. He stated that a lack of ventilators has already led to preventable infant deaths.

Over 180,000 vaccine doses and 20 neonatal ventilators remain stranded outside Gaza, unable to reach children in need. Beigbeder stressed that humanitarian supplies must be allowed to enter immediately.

UNICEF also reported that essential services are nearing collapse. The Khan Younis desalination plant, a key source of clean water, is operating at only 13% capacity, leaving hundreds of thousands without safe drinking water.

In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, over 200 Palestinian children and three Israeli children have been killed since October 2023—the highest number recorded in two decades.

UNICEF has called for immediate humanitarian access and stressed that aid deliveries must not be delayed any further to prevent additional loss of life.