Gaza city: The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has made an urgent plea to the international community to prevent a disaster in Gaza City as Israel intensifies military operations in preparation for a full takeover. Tess Ingram, Communication Manager for UNICEF's Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, spent nine days in Gaza City, describing it as 'a city of fear, flight and funerals.'
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Ingram reported that only 44 out of 92 UNICEF-supported outpatient nutrition treatment centers are operational, leaving thousands of malnourished children without essential support. The 40 incubators available are operating at up to 200 percent capacity, forcing up to 80 babies to rely on overcrowded machines that depend on generators and medical supplies, which are at risk of depletion.
Ingram encountered displaced families, children separated from their parents, and mothers who have lost children to starvation or fear that their children will be next. She recounted speaking to hospitalized children whose bodies were injured by shrapnel, emphasizing that the dire situation is already unfolding, not a looming threat. The ongoing scarcity of food, safe water, and essential supplies is causing children to return to emergency wards or relapse shortly after completing treatment for malnutrition.
Ingram stressed the need for immediate and increased access to food and nutrition treatments to prevent further starvation among children, stating that this fate is preventable. She highlighted UNICEF's efforts to assist children and expressed that their capacity to reach every child would be significantly enhanced with better funding and operational support on the ground.