Tulani Ngwenya
PRETORIA – Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of UNICEF, visited the Gaza Strip on November 14 to assess the dire situation faced by children, families, and UNICEF staff in the region. In a statement following her visit, Russell described the scene as devastating, with children enduring repeated bombardments, loss and displacement.
“There is nowhere safe for Gaza’s one million children to turn,” Russell expressed, highlighting the severity of the crisis. She condemned the grave violations against children, including killing, maiming, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access.
The toll on children in Gaza is staggering, with over 4,600 reported deaths and nearly 9,000 injuries. Russell emphasised that many children are missing, believed to be buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings and homes due to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
During her visit to the Al Naser hospital in Khan Yunis, Russell met with patients and displaced families seeking shelter. She shared the heartbreaking story of a 16-year-old girl who survived a bombing but will never walk again, according to doctors. In the neonatal ward, she witnessed the struggle of tiny babies in incubators as medical staff grappled with fuel shortages affecting life-saving equipment.
Russell commended UNICEF staff for their resilience in delivering aid amidst danger and devastation. She recounted their stories of personal loss and displacement due to the ongoing conflict.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with overcrowded shelters lacking basic necessities, posing a risk of disease outbreaks. Russell emphasised the critical need for fuel, stating that diesel shortages have caused hospitals and health centres to cease functioning. Desalination plants, essential for producing drinking water, and the distribution of humanitarian supplies have also been severely impacted.
Highlighting the risks faced by humanitarian actors in Gaza, Russell noted that over 100 UNRWA staff have been killed since October. UNICEF and its partners are making efforts to bring in essential humanitarian supplies, but the intermittent opening of Gaza’s border crossings is insufficient to meet the escalating needs.
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Unicef: Gaza’s children paying the heaviest price’ due to Israeli aggression
As winter approaches, the need for fuel becomes even more acute. Russell urged all parties to the conflict to implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, release abducted and detained children safely and ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian actors to provide lifesaving services and supplies.
“I am here to do whatever I can to advocate for the protection of children. Only the parties to the conflict can truly stop this horror,” Russell emphasised, calling for urgent international intervention to alleviate the suffering of the children in Gaza.
