The war in the children of Gaza

The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip will only worsen, especially for children. last month, UNICEF The number of hospitals sent to Gaza with acute malnutrition in Gaza increased by 50% between April and May. “Of course of the 5,119 children admitted in May, 636 have severe acute malnutrition (SAM), the deadliest form of malnutrition,” the statement explained. “These children need consistent, supervised treatment, safe water and health care to survive – Gaza is becoming increasingly rare today. Sam’s children’s number has soared 146% since February.”

Earlier this year, a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas led to Israel allowing more aid from Gaza. But since then, Israel has cut off all aid alternately and allowed trick to flow in. Furthermore, Israel has largely replaced the former aid delivery system, which has been operated in part through the United Nations, New systemrun by a private organization called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Palestinians were forced to trek to one of four locations to receive food. Israeli troops and private contractors guarding the sites fired weapons at Palestinians as they approached them. According to the United Nations, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed when aid is collected.

I recently spoke to James Elder over the phone UNICEFGlobal spokesperson, just returned from striptease. Elder has worked in countries such as Angola, Zimbabwe, Libya and Sri Lanka. In our conversation, edited for long and clarity, we discuss the injured children he spoke with in Gaza, the risks people are now willing to take to find food, and how parents try to cope with unimaginable losses.

When did you last stay in Gaza?

I was in Gaza for the last time in June and stayed there for two weeks. This is my fifth mission to Gaza since the horror of October 7. In a typical emergency, my job is to go see the situation, report and share what UNICEF Doing it. But in Gaza, ninety-five percent are witnesses. I spent the whole day in the hospital and camp, just listening to people and hearing about the situation. I learned early in November or December 2023 that it is more important to take the time to share serious violations that have consistently happened to children rather than talk about what our plans are doing. There is a large degree of false information in terms of what is happening, and obviously, there is a lot of credibility for statements that are considered completely wrong. So I think it’s very important to simply witness this, and I’ve met hundreds of children and families.

How could you say that the visit in June is different from your previous ones, if so?

Yes, even if I didn’t expect this to happen. This is different for several reasons. One is the wound I saw on the children. The little girl and the boy were burned, the fourth degree burn I didn’t know existed. The shrapnel passes through the body. The shrapnel is designed to pass through the cement and what it does to the child’s body is terrible. On the last trip I saw a group of kids who were trying to go from the north to the south after the Israeli checkpoints and then left by bus, all I smelled was the burning meat of the kids. It won’t leave you. One thing that shocked me this time is that I not only see these kids-I’m listening to them. The lack of painkillers is so terrible that when I was in the hospital (the hospitals would be separated from the people who suffered from war wounds, you would hear the children and their screams. So of course I noticed, as a person, as a parent, human.

Another thing is food and water. Whenever you warn of famine, there is a lot of international pressure and Israel lets go of control so more aid can come in. However, international pressures have weakened and restrictions have been tightened again. Once you are famine, people will die. But there is some hunger, the child’s body is degrading, the immune system is starting to collapse, and this is happening – so the child’s body is not waiting for this technology definition.

We are now well below the emergency threshold for water. It is now in a state of serious shortage and is completely controlled by Israel. Diesel has become essential for treatment and water distribution due to the cuts in Gaza’s electricity in the October 7 horror film, but fuel entering Gaza has been blocked for more than a hundred days. We have to get to a point where if that doesn’t change or power is turned on, that will solve a lot of problems and you’ll start to see kids die of thirst. The water really surprised me very much because it is absolutely political, not logistical. This problem will be resolved if Israel allows fuel or power to turn on these seawater desalination plants. This is the pressure of a population that I have seen before.

The deadliest crisis is not only hunger or thirst, it is a cruel collision between the two. These deaths are usually not recorded; when children are severely malnutrition, they are eleven times more likely to die from common childhood illnesses. They don’t usually go to the hospital – first because the hospital is full of war wounds, secondly, if you just look south, there is a fully functional hospital and in the evacuation area. It’s nearly impossible to get there unless you’re in an ambulance because you have to go through a militarized evacuation area.

What do you know about your child being starved to death?

Death of starvation is severe acute malnutrition, but there is a number, but, honestly, I’m not sure how reliable it is. [The director of Gaza’s field hospitals told NBC News last month that more than sixty-six children had died from hunger and malnutrition since the war began.] The problem is that for the vast majority of children, if you die, if you are severe, sharply malnutrition and die, then “starving to death” is very unusual. You have died of diarrhea, basically acute watery diarrhea, which is very, very common, especially considering the restrictions on water and food. You are killed very easily by a healthy child’s immune system.

What is your conversation with the parents of these children? Are you angry? sad? How will you characterize it?

I would say there is very little anger. There is a huge vulnerability. They hold their medical evaporation form, which means they are approved to evacuate medical treatment from Gaza. However, thousands of children need medical evacuation from Gaza. I mean, there are actually thousands. Therefore, they hold this false hope in their hands. There is a grace and generosity in talking to me, but absolutely sad.

For a long time, I have noticed a certain level of powerlessness. I noticed this a year ago when parents explained to me that their children had realized that this parent could no longer protect them, and it was a frightening moment. These parents know that they have lost the ability to keep their children safe and therefore the powerless people are deeply trapped in people’s situation. You sit, listen, you talk, it’s a little girl or a little boy who’s trying to be brave in some way, or they’re stuck in a coma and their parents’ efforts. In this way, parents, sometimes fathers in a paternalistic environment, all burst into tears.