An alarming lack of food, surging malnutrition and the rampant spread of disease could spark an explosion in child deaths in Gaza, the United Nations warned Monday.Twenty weeks into Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies warned that food and safe water had become "incredibly scarce" in the Palestinian territory, adding that virtually all young children had infectious illnesses.

“The Gaza Strip is poised to witness an explosion in preventable child deaths which would compound the already unbearable level of child deaths in Gaza,” said Ted Chaiban, deputy head of humanitarian action at the UN children’s agency UNICEF.

At least 90 percent of children under five in Gaza are affected by one or more infectious diseases, according to a joint assessment by the UN agencies for children, food and health.

Seventy percent had had diarrhoea in the two weeks prior to the assessment, marking a 23-fold increase compared to the 2022 baseline.

“Hunger and disease are a deadly combination,” World Health Organization emergencies director Mike Ryan said in a statement.

“Hungry, weakened and deeply traumatised children are more likely to get sick, and children who are sick, especially with diarrhoea, cannot absorb nutrients well,” he said.

“It’s dangerous, and tragic, and happening before our eyes.”

    • livus
      10•8 months ago

      Children, presumably, since that’s the main subject of the article.

      The other subject is UN agencies but they have been calling for ceasefires and pauses this whole time.

        • livus
          10•8 months ago

          I meant the UN

          Then you are badly misinformed. The article is about the UN agencies WHO and UNICEF.

          The WHO was calling for a ceasefire as early as Oct 27, 2023.

          UNICEF was calling for a ceasefire on Oct 31, 2023.

          From WHO last October:

          WHO reiterates its calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, and reminds all parties to the conflict to take all precautions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. This includes health workers, patients, health facilities and ambulances, and civilians who are sheltering in these facilities.

          From UNICEF last October:

          From the earliest days of the unprecedented hostilities in the Gaza Strip, UNICEF has been forthright on the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, for the aid to flow and for children abducted to be released. Like many others, we have pleaded for the killing of children to stop.

          • @fastandcuriousEnglish
            0•8 months ago

            I am talking about the ICJ ruling, that was the best opportunity to ask for a ceasefire and tell the whole world that it is a genocide (even though they know but it would still have some impact), they call for a ceasefire but refuse to stand by it when they have a chance of imposing it

            • livus
              9•8 months ago

              @fastandcurious the World Health Organization and UNICEF are not the same as the International Court of Justice.

              Despite what far right propaganda may claim, there isn’t a One World Government that controls all these.

              I share your frustration with the short-term outcome of the ICJ ruling.

              • @fastandcuriousEnglish
                4•8 months ago

                Ah sorry about that, I thought the UN and ICJ were related somehow though

                • livus
                  6•8 months ago

                  @fastandcurious fair enough. They are. The UN structure is kinda complex and also involves a wider system of related organizations). But those agencies are autonomous meaning no one can tell UNICEF or the ICJ or whoever what to do.

                  By the same token poor old UNICEF and WHO have been crying out for ceasefires this whole time but they don’t get to boss the ICJ around. It’s an autonomous body.