No aid has been allowed into Gaza since 2 March, representing the longest period of aid blockage since the start of the war, resulting in shortages of food, safe water, shelter, and medical supplies.
UNICEF said that without these essentials, malnutrition, diseases and other preventable conditions will likely surge, leading to an increase in preventable child deaths.
The agency has thousands of pallets of aid waiting to enter the enclave, said Edouard Beigbeder, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“Most of this aid is lifesaving – yet instead of saving lives, it is sitting in storage,” he said.
“It must be allowed in immediately. This is not a choice or charity; it is an obligation under international law.”
Young lives at risk
UNICEF warned that children receiving malnutrition treatment are at serious risk as 21 treatment centres, representing 15 per cent of total outpatient facilities, have closed due to displacement orders or bombardments.
Furthermore, only enough ready-to-use infant formula (RUIF) is currently available for 400 children for a month. Estimates indicate that nearly 10,000 infants under six months old require supplementary feeding, which could force families to use alternatives mixed with unsafe water.
Meanwhile, UNICEF has also had to scale back mental health and psychosocial support, mine education, and child protection case management due to the ongoing hostilities and displacement.
Water access plummets
During the ceasefire, UNICEF began repairing critical wells and waterpoints, but the collapse of the truce means that many remain unrepaired or at risk of further damage.
The agency further noted that drinking water access for one million people, including 400,000 children, has dropped from 16 litres per person per day to just six.
If fuel runs out, it could plunge to below four litres, forcing families to use unsafe water and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks, especially among children.
Ensure basic needs
“For the sake of more than one million children in the Gaza Strip, we urge the Israeli authorities to ensure, at a minimum, people’s basic needs are met, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” said Mr. Beigbeder.
“This includes their legal responsibility to ensure that families are supplied with the food, medical and other essential supplies they need to survive.”
Meanwhile, UNICEF and partners are maintaining a critical presence in Gaza.
The agency continues to call on the parties to cease hostilities and reinstate the ceasefire, stressing that humanitarian aid and commercial goods mut be allowed to enter and move freely across the Gaza Strip.
