A child dies or suffers injury every ten minutes in Gaza: UNICEF

The ruthless Israeli genocide is causing the loss of lives or injuries to a child every ten minutes in Gaza, a statement issued by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) revealed on Wednesday.

The recent devastating assault on a refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip claimed the lives of 11 children.

UN agencies and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have repeatedly called for a ceasefire, given the immense devastation and the collapse of the healthcare system. The recent Israeli attack on Al-Shifa Hospital has rendered only a third of Gaza’s 36 hospitals operational.

The deliberate obstruction of aid, including vital medical supplies and the collapsed healthcare infrastructure, has led to dire situations such as pregnant women undergoing C-sections without anesthesia and limb amputations without proper medical care.

“More than half of planned WHO missions between last October and the end of March have been either denied or delayed or face other obstacles so they have to be postponed, so we really need that access”, WHO spokesperson Mr Jasarevic said. 

The lack of medical personnel and critical supplies, including needles, sutures, and others, has left children without relief, forcing them to suffer.

UNICEF's communication specialist, Tess Ingram, who recently returned from a visit to Gaza, said in a press conference in Geneva that the Gaza war is inflicting a terrible toll on children.

Tess Ingram said that since October 7, 2023, more than 12,000 children have died in Gaza and about 70 children are being injured in Gaza every day.

The UNICEF representative highlighted the ongoing challenges in evacuating severely injured or ill patients for treatment outside of Gaza. 

With approval granted for less than half of all "medivac" requests, only approximately 4,500 individuals, primarily children, have been permitted to leave Gaza, which means fewer than 20 people are leaving the enclave each day on average.