“That’s approximately one child killed each day during a ceasefire,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder reported in Geneva.
“These children are killed from airstrikes, drone strikes, including suicide drones,” he stated from Gaza City. “They’re killed from tank shelling, live ammunition, and remote-controlled quadcopters.”
Mr. Elder noted that more children have also died from hypothermia recently, as severe winter conditions affect vulnerable Gazans.
Sheer cold kills six children
“We’ve now seen six children die of hypothermia this winter,” he said. “The wind, cold, and wet conditions are severe.”
The UNICEF spokesperson emphasized that the ceasefire has enabled progress in primary healthcare, with new health clinics established and immunization services expanded.
However, crucial medical evacuations for children are stalled.
Mr. Elder reported “no noticeable improvement” in approvals for evacuating children with life-threatening injuries from Gaza or in persuading host countries to accept these young patients.
During his latest mission, he spoke with many families denied evacuation despite completing the necessary formalities.
These included a nine-year-old with shrapnel in his eye who risks losing sight, a girl in Al Shifa hospital who may not survive, and another child needing an amputation. “All three are candidates for medical evacuation; all three have been denied,” Mr. Elder explained.
Before the war began in Gaza following Hamas-led attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, 50 to 100 patients were evacuated daily, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
In a recent alert, WHO warned that extensive clearance procedures by Israeli authorities continue to delay medicine and food deliveries.
“Some essential medical items are classified as ‘dual-use’ and denied entry,” WHO posted on X, referring to goods intended for civilian use but potentially diverted for military purposes by militant groups.
International NGO ban looms
The UNICEF spokesperson also raised concerns about an upcoming Israeli ban on international NGOs, which he asserted would block life-saving assistance. Mr. Elder also emphasized the need to allow international media access to the enclave, which hasn’t happened despite the ceasefire.
“More pressure is needed to allow international journalists in,” he said. “Each visit reveals the widespread destruction, and it’s as shocking now as it was more than two years ago.”
Mr. Elder warned that two years of war have made life unimaginably hard for Gaza’s children, with untreated psychological damage worsening over time.
“A ceasefire that slows the bombs is progress, but one that still results in children’s deaths is insufficient,” he concluded.
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