Humanitarian convoys have started entering the Gaza Strip since Saturday. “It is nevertheless far too little,” said the director of communications for Unicef for Palestine on Monday.
Invited Monday October 23 on franceinfo, the director of communications of Unicef for Palestine, Jonathan Crickx, described “dramatic” the humanitarian situation in Gaza. “Children lack everything”, he was particularly concerned. He warned of the shortage of gasoline which could very soon affect Palestinian neonatology services. Another alert, this time on the lack of drinking water in the area: “Some people drink unsafe water” which can cause “chronic diarrhea especially in children”.
franceinfo: Are children the first victims of this catastrophic humanitarian situation?
Jonathan Crickx : We have frightening figures: more than 1,800 Palestinian children have died since October 8, according to the reports we have received. Which is obviously huge. This is why we absolutely must call for a ceasefire. It is often said that children are the first victims of war, but this has been terribly true over the past two weeks. We have various sources to obtain these figures: our partners in the field, our staff also in the field and the Ministry of Health which transmits information. The situation is very volatile and we therefore insist on the fact that these are figures reported to us. Verification processes take time. In times of conflict we cannot verify all the figures but we check with all of our partners. Furthermore, we also know that there are Israeli children who are being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.
Unicef is also warning of the critical lack of fuel which is jeopardizing the operation of incubators for more than 120 premature newborns. Could the situation deteriorate further in the coming days?
In hospitals in the Gaza Strip – outside of this conflict – there are often power cuts. Each hospital is therefore equipped with an electric generator that runs on fuel oil or gasoline. The information we get is that there is enough gasoline to supply the seven neonatology units, which care for these children, for a period of two to three days. There is therefore an urgent, pressing call so that fuel oil can also be transported. So far, according to reports, Unicef - and its UN partners – have provided food, water, medicine and hygiene kits but so far I have not no information indicating that fuel oil or gasoline has passed.
“Regarding the question of drinking water, there is too little”
Jonathan Crickx, Unicef communications director for Palestineat franceinfo
The figures we have show that on average, per person, there are three liters of water available for cooking, drinking and washing. It’s not enough. There are reports indicating that some people are drinking unsafe water, which is a source of concern because there is a risk of having chronic diarrhea, particularly in children. Globally, chronic diarrhea represents the leading source of mortality among children under the age of five. So this is not trivial.
So you are calling for an emergency ceasefire?
There are several humanitarian convoys which passed on Saturday October 21, Sunday October 22 and Monday October 23 in the Gaza Strip, carrying water, food and medicine for several tens of thousands of people but it is nevertheless far too much little. The situation is dramatic on the ground. Children lack everything. The ideal is a humanitarian ceasefire, but in the meantime what is absolutely necessary is safe and constant passage for much more humanitarian aid to meet the needs.