Shaaban Bilal (Cairo)
The Regional Director of Media at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the Middle East and North Africa, Ammar Ammar, warned against any military siege or ground incursion into the city of Rafah, south of Gaza, stressing that this poses catastrophic risks to more than 1.4 million Palestinians in Rafah. Among them are 600,000 children.
Ammar stressed, in a statement to Al-Ittihad, that the war that has continued for more than 200 days has caused an unimaginable crisis on the lives of children in light of the continued deterioration of the humanitarian crisis, explaining that hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza suffer from malnutrition, shock, or disabilities, especially with Many of them have been displaced many times, losing their homes and loved ones.
He pointed out that children in Rafah need protection, in addition to shelter and medical services, stressing that the military siege and ground incursion pose catastrophic risks for more than 600,000 children currently taking shelter in Rafah.
The UN official pointed out that the initial evacuation orders announced in eastern Rafah affect 100,000 people, as there are more than 1.4 million people living in Rafah, half of whom are children, who are directly exposed to the danger of any military operation in the region, pointing out that the extended impact will be far-reaching. To include the entire population of Gaza, which numbers more than 2.2 million people.
Ammar stated that the Rafah crossing is the main center for all humanitarian responses, and its closure has serious effects on the process of delivering aid, which is already facing difficulties, which hinders the efforts made throughout Gaza. He explained that closing the crossing points will lead to a decline in the arrival of aid, which was minimal due to Restrictions imposed.
According to Ammar, there are hundreds of thousands of children suffering from disabilities or medical conditions that put them at greater risk from the looming military operations in Rafah, adding that 65,000 children suffer from pre-existing disabilities, including difficulties in seeing, hearing, and walking, in addition to 72,000 infants. 8,000 children under the age of two suffer from acute malnutrition, and 175,000 children under the age of five suffer from one or more infectious diseases.
He stressed that all children are in need of mental health services and psychosocial support, and that any interruption in the arrival of already limited aid will have a devastating impact on the humanitarian situation as a whole, stressing that the lack of access to fuel puts all basic services at risk of complete cessation, including the delivery of aid. And the rest of the health care.
Ammar also considered that any military operation in Rafah would expose children to more malnutrition, disease, and an increased risk of death, calling on Israel to fulfill its humanitarian obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law to provide food and medical supplies and facilitate relief operations, stressing that the only hope for getting out of this disaster is Humanitarian: An immediate humanitarian ceasefire, while ensuring safe access for humanitarian organizations to support children and their families.
The UN official called for the protection of civilians and the infrastructure that supports basic needs, such as hospitals and shelters, as well as the protection of children and their families if they are unable or unwilling to move after the evacuation order was issued in Rafah.
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