LOC15:18
12:18 GMT
GENEVA, Dec 9 (KUNA) -- The United Nations Childrenآ’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday warned about the continuing rise in malnutrition rates among children as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women in the Gaza Strip despite the ceasefire.
UNICEF Communications Director Tess Ingram speaking online from Gaza during a press briefing in Geneva said that children are reported to have died painful and that the number of babies who died on their first day of life rose by 75 pct between 2022 and 2025.
He added that the average number of babies born with low birth weight rose from 250 babies per month in 2022 to 460 babies per month before the ceasefire, warning that this trend is expected to escalate further in the coming months due to impediments by Israeli occupation forces restricting the entry of treatment and humanitarian aid.
Ingram also reported that more than 9,300 children under five and over 8,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women were admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition during October alone a five-fold increase compared to the numbers recorded in February.
She explained that recovery from malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women remains extremely slow compared to children as mothers "are sacrificing their own well-being in order to feed their children".
She added that hospitals in Gaza face "huge challenges" in caring for underweight and premature newborns due to the Israeli occupation restrictions that prevent essential medical supplies from entering the Strip indeed if the loss of medical staff.
Ingram called for the opening of all crossings simultaneously and consistently to ensure the flow of aid at sufficient scale.
She warned that children continue to pay the highest price for this war, noting that more than 70 children have been killed in the eight weeks since the ceasefire.
For his part, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said that an estimated 4,000 children still require urgent medical evacuation from Gaza and that many have died while waiting.
He reported that WHO has managed to evacuate 10,620 patients since October 2023 including 5,608 children. (End)
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