UNICEF Chief Calls Gaza ‘Most Dangerous Place’ for Children

According to Russell, recent figures indicate that 40% of deaths in Gaza are children, with over 5,300 reported child casualties in just 46 days, averaging more than 115 a day, an unprecedented toll.

"The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child," Russell emphasized, citing catastrophic, indiscriminate, and disproportionate impacts of Israeli violence on children. Reports indicate over 1,200 children remaining under rubble or unaccounted for.

While acknowledging a hard-won truce deal, Russell stressed its insufficiency in ensuring children's safety, urging for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire to halt the ongoing devastation.

Expressing concerns about escalating military actions in southern Gaza worsening the humanitarian crisis, Russell warned of a potential 30% increase in acute malnutrition among children and a looming catastrophic nutrition crisis. “One million children - or all children inside the territory - are now food insecure, facing what could soon become a catastrophic nutrition crisis,” the UN official added.

Russell also highlighted the plight of displaced children, stressing the need for identifying and providing care for over 1.7 million displaced people in Gaza, half of whom are children.

During the Security Council session, Russell condemned attacks on schools and hospitals, noting severe damage to schools and hospitals used as shelters for displaced individuals, denouncing the high casualties, far surpassing previous escalations.

“Of note, the number of deaths in the present crisis has far surpassed the total number of deaths during previous escalations. For comparison, a total of 1,653 children were verified as killed in 17 years of monitoring and reporting of grave violations between 2005 and 2022,” she added.

Separately, Natalia Kanem, head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), expressed concern about 5,500 pregnant women expected to give birth in distressing conditions in Gaza, with approximately 180 women delivering daily under precarious circumstances. Kanem also highlighted the plight of 7,000 women lacking access to care, water, sanitation, and nutrition.

The ongoing aggression by the Tel Aviv regime has resulted in the deaths of at least 14,532 Palestinians while over 33,000 have been injured, including thousands of children and women.