UNICEF Warns of ‘Catastrophic’ Conditions for Children in Besieged Northern Gaza
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over the dire situation facing children in northern Gaza, describing it as “catastrophic and horrible.” The besieged region, ravaged by ongoing Israeli military offensives and an unrelenting blockade, has seen living conditions deteriorate to life-threatening levels for its youngest residents.
Health System on the Brink of Collapse
UNICEF spokesperson for Gaza, Tess Ingram, highlighted the devastating impact of the collapse of the medical infrastructure. Children in need of urgent care are being deprived of essential treatment due to the siege and continuous bombings.
Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the last functioning health facilities in northern Gaza, has ceased operations following Israeli airstrikes. Ingram detailed how injured children were rushed to the hospital after successive explosions, only to find it lacking the resources to treat them effectively.
Adding to the tragedy, nearly 30 Palestinians—including women, children, and four doctors—were killed in strikes near the hospital compound on Friday, according to Gaza’s civil defense. The World Health Organization confirmed that the attack occurred without prior warning, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Calls for Accountability
The Palestinian movement Hamas has demanded an international investigation into what it calls the deliberate targeting of medical facilities by Israeli forces.
Children in Dire Peril
Beyond the immediate threat of bombs and bullets, Ingram noted that Gaza’s children are also battling the harsh realities of hunger, disease, and freezing temperatures. Families, deprived of basic necessities, are resorting to burning waste and plastics to stay warm, while children scour debris for food and fuel.
“Our colleagues witnessed children scavenging for food and collecting plastic materials to warm themselves,” Ingram said. The onset of winter has only intensified the suffering in a region already reeling from malnutrition and waterborne illnesses.
Staggering Humanitarian Toll
Since October 6, when Israel launched a new ground offensive and forcibly displaced residents, over 3,000 people have been killed and more than 10,000 injured in northern Gaza alone. Tens of thousands of families are now trapped without access to food, clean water, fuel, or electricity.
UNICEF’s warning comes as aid agencies face immense challenges in delivering life-saving assistance to the region. Starvation and malnutrition are escalating rapidly, compounding the already dire humanitarian crisis.
This unfolding tragedy calls for urgent international attention and action to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s most vulnerable—the children.