The fate of 120 children in Gaza depends on the decision to transport fuel into Palestinian territory. This was announced by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in a report published by AFP on Sunday 22 October.
A serious lack of fuel in the neonatal wards
Two weeks after the start of the war between Hama and Israel, the 2.4 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and serious shortages, including electricity, interrupted by Israel two days after the Hamas attack to its territory.
Today, the seven neonatal wards in the Gaza Strip where babies are treated use generators, but they need fuel to operate. However, no fuel deliveries have yet been authorized by Israel.
This lack of supply is seriously endangering the most vulnerable, starting with children receiving respiratory assistance. “We currently have more than 120 newborns in incubators, of which 70 are on mechanical ventilation and, of course, it is them that we are particularly worried about”said Unicef spokesman in Jerusalem, Jonathan Crickx, quoted by AFP.
Every day 160 women give birth in Gaza
Only until today “small quantities of fuel” used “desperately trying to provide a few days” additional supplies to hospitals, said WHO Health Emergencies Program Director Michael Ryan.
According to Jonathan Crickx, if newborns “they are placed in mechanically ventilated incubators, from the moment the electricity goes out we worry about their survival”.
During a press conference organized on Thursday 19 October in Geneva (Switzerland), the World Health Organization (WHO) asked Israel to authorize its delivery, as part of humanitarian aid, to power hospital generators and desalination plants.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, around 160 women give birth every day in Gaza and there are currently 50,000 pregnant women living in the territory.
According to the Ministry of Health, around 4,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, died in the Israeli attacks. Among these civilians were 1,756 children.
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Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
