RIYADH: Thanking the Saudi government for its gesture of support for Palestinians affected by the ongoing Israeli operations, UNICEF expressed yesterday its deep concern about the suffering of children and women in Gaza, calling for a full and permanent cease-fire to allow round the clock humanitarian assistance programs to respond to the huge needs.”
“The physical and psychological damage that this conflict is inflicting on children must end,” said Ayman Abu Laban, UNICEF Gulf area representative.
“Children are being killed and injured on a daily basis as a result of the current military operation. This is unacceptable and every effort must be made by all concerned to ensure that children receive the protection that is their right and our collective duty.”
He added that the distribution of food, water, fuel and medicine among these victims should not be impeded.”
“UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict to take every measure to protect children,” Abu Laban said, adding that it is only with an end to the conflict that children’s rights can be fully respected. He pointed out that 50 percent of the Palestinians in Gaza are under the age of 15 years.
“Unimpeded humanitarian access must be established in Gaza urgently to ensure that children have access to regular life-saving supplies and support,” he said.
It is estimated that 400,000 people, most of them in Gaza city, do not have access to piped water. Two essential water mains, one is a 10-inch pipe connecting the middle area to Al-Nuseirat camp and the other a 20-inch pipe connecting Al-Safa wells to Gaza City, are damaged.
Sewage is flooding into the streets as the result of the damage to the sewage network. The Gaza City wastewater treatment plant was hit on Saturday.
Two trucks loaded with 500 basic family water kits for 30,000 people and two trucks loaded with 33,125 bottles of water for about 11,000 people entered Gaza on Sunday.
UNICEF has provided 355 First Aid kits, 20 resuscitation kits, and transported into Gaza five additional emergency medical kits, each meeting the needs of 10,000 people over three months. Supplies were already pre-positioned in Gaza.
