UNITED NATIONS: Over 600,000 Palestinian children packed into Gaza’s Rafah city face “further catastrophe,” UNICEF warned on Monday, urging against their forced relocation after Israel ordered an evacuation ahead of its long-threatened ground invasion.
In a statement, UNICEF emphasized the imminent risk faced by children in Rafah, where military operations could result in devastating civilian casualties and the complete destruction of essential services and infrastructure crucial for their survival. “Given the high concentration of Palestinian children in Rafah… UNICEF is warning of a further catastrophe for children, with Israeli military operations resulting in very high civilian casualties and the few remaining basic services and infrastructure they need to survive being totally destroyed,” the United Nations children’s agency said.
With Rafah’s population soaring to 1.2 million, half of whom are children, many of them have already been displaced multiple times, leaving them with nowhere safe to seek refuge.
Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, underscored the dire situation facing the youth in Rafah, stating that they are “on the edge of survival” after enduring more than 200 days of relentless conflict. She warned that a large-scale military operation by Israel would exacerbate the already fragile physical and mental well-being of children, plunging the city into chaos and panic.
UNICEF’s estimates indicate that Rafah’s population has swelled to nearly five times its normal figure, with approximately 78,000 infants under the age of two and 175,000 children under five years old, who are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases.
Amidst the escalating violence, UNICEF reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and urged for safe access for humanitarian organizations to provide critical assistance to affected civilians. The agency emphasized the urgent need for concerted international efforts to alleviate the suffering of children and civilians caught in the crossfire.
The latest escalation in violence comes amidst Gaza’s bloodiest-ever war since October 7 last year. Israel’s relentless offensive has killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza. More than 14,000 are children among the reported fatalities, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Despite mounting international concerns and appeals for restraint, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press forward with plans to deploy ground troops against Hamas fighters in Rafah.
