Palestinian men and boys hold out their empty pots in front of a charity kitchen in Khan Younis (Credit: AFP)
UNICEF: World ignored warnings for months, now Gaza has plunged into famine
In an exclusive interview with Roya, UNICEF Communications Specialist in the Middle East and North Africa, Saleem Oweis, confirmed that the world “was too late for the children and civilians of Gaza, resulting in famine,” describing the situation as “the most severe ever” and saying that children are facing a “death sentence” imposed on them by the Israeli Occupation.
UNICEF has sounded the highest-level alarm over the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, warning that the official declaration of famine is an inevitable outcome of the world’s delay in acting to save civilians.
- Famine is real… and the world is late -
Saleem Oweis told Roya that UNICEF and all humanitarian partners had been warning of this day for months. “The world was too late for the children and civilians of Gaza, and famine has occurred,” he added.
Read more: UN declares first-ever famine in Middle East, in Gaza
He also noted that field reports confirm “a worrying rise in food insecurity and severe malnutrition,” describing the famine as “a terrifying threat to the children of Gaza,” who are paying the heaviest price.
- Collapse of basic living conditions -
During the interview, Oweis painted a grim picture of the reality faced by children in the Strip, stressing that they lack the most basic means of survival.
“Children have no water, food, or healthcare. Gaza is witnessing its harshest conditions,” he said.
He added that the health disaster is compounded by the collapse of the medical system, as “most hospitals in Gaza are either not functioning or operating partially,” depriving sick and wounded children of any chance of treatment.
In his scathing statement, Oweis said, “The occupation has issued a death sentence to the children.”
- Urgent call to deliver aid -
On behalf of UNICEF, Oweis issued a “cry for officials to save the health situation in Gaza,” stressing the urgent need for the international community to take immediate action to change this tragic reality.
Oweis concluded his interview by emphasizing two main demands:
- Immediate and unconditional delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
- Provision of therapeutic food for children suffering from malnutrition, noting that UNICEF has only been able to bring in quantities sufficient for “a few weeks.”
