NEW YORK, Nov 30 — The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said on Saturday that nearly 9,300 cases of acute malnutrition were recorded among children under five in the Gaza Strip during October, Palestine News and Info Agency (Wafa) reported.
In a statement, the agency said that high levels of malnutrition continue to endanger the lives and well-being of children in Gaza, a situation worsened by the onset of winter, which accelerates the spread of disease and increases the risk of death among the most vulnerable.
Unicef said that large quantities of winter supplies are currently waiting at Gaza’s borders, urging that humanitarian aid be delivered to the enclave “safely, swiftly and without obstacles”.
Its executive director Catherine Russell said thousands of children under five continue to suffer from acute malnutrition in Gaza, while many lack adequate shelter, sanitation services and protection from the winter cold.
She added that many children still face hunger, disease and exposure to low temperatures in conditions that threaten their lives.
The agency noted that many essential items, particularly animal-source foods, remain unavailable or unaffordable for most people in Gaza.
According to Unicef, the Gaza Strip needs roughly 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to meet basic shelter needs after Israel destroyed infrastructure during two years of war.
The agency said that a large volume of winter supplies remains stuck at the border awaiting entry.
It called for the safe, rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Unicef also urged the simultaneous opening of all crossings into Gaza, simplified and expanded clearance procedures and the passage of relief through all available supply routes, including via Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the West Bank.
