News – Middle East: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)bhas characterized the Gaza Strip as the world's most perilous location for children, stating that its situation has gone from catastrophic to near collapse.

Following his visit to Gaza, Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, revealed in a press conference that the estimated 250,000 to 300,000 people living in north Gaza have no access to clean water and barely any food. Thousands of children are grappling with malnutrition and illness.

Chaiban expressed concern that Of the nearly 25,000 people reported to have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, up to 70 per cent are reported to be women and children. The killing of children must cease immediately.

He urgently called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, warning that the ongoing situation could lead to a surge in victims due to diseases or hunger-related deaths.

Highlighting the dire lack of access to treatments preventing limb amputations for Gaza's children, the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF demanded an immediate end to the killing of children.

Chaiban emphasized, "It is imperative that access restrictions are lifted, reliable ground communications ensured, and movement of humanitarian supplies facilitated to ensure those who have been without aid for days receive desperately needed assistance. And, we have to get commercial traffic flowing in Gaza, so that markets can reopen and families can be less dependent on relief."

He noted that there are 1.9 million internally displaced persons in Gaza, most of whom were unable to take any belongings with them.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli military has been conducting a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in 24,620 martyrs and 61,830 injuries as of Thursday. Palestinian authorities and the United Nations report that over 85% (about 1.9 million people) of the Strip's population has been displaced.