I'm outraged by what I just saw on my latest visit to the Rafah Crossing, Gaza's main point of entry and lifeline to the outside world.
There I stood beside a long line of hundreds of trucks, many of which belonged to UNICEF and partners, filled with humanitarian aid in a standstill as children suffer in Gaza.
Supply bottlenecks and insufficient access to border crossings significantly limit the amount of supplies that children can receive, but UNICEF is finding ways to deliver. In the past two weeks, UNICEF teams on the ground moved 48 truckloads of urgently needed supplies into Gaza, including:
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Vaccines to protect against various diseases
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Nutrition supplies with a month’s supply for 300 children
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Hygiene and dignity kits for 1,500 people
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Blankets for more than 11,000 people
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50 incubators for premature babies in hospital neonatal intensive care units
UNICEF’s response is as critical as ever with nearly all of Gaza’s population displaced and famine looming. Inside Gaza, I can tell you that people are sleeping on streets and in tents. It’s cold and it’s been raining.
There's trauma upon trauma for people here.
The most efficient way — the only way — that we are going to save the number of children who need relief is by these roads. This can be possible with sustained and unhindered access to deliver aid.
That’s why UNICEF continues to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and an end to the ongoing blockade on assistance. As we press for action, UNICEF is committed to doing everything possible to provide relief and pre-position supplies now and in the future for the children and families who so desperately need them.
We are ready to deliver more if given the chance. If you’re able to give, your generosity will help scale our response to reach children in Gaza.
Thank you for being here for children, |
James Elder
UNICEF Spokesperson |
