Gaza: 14,000 babies on the brink of death, UN warns.

A senior United Nations official issued a stark warning on May 20th, stating that as many as 14,000 babies in Gaza could lose their lives within 48 hours if critical humanitarian aid is not delivered immediately, according to Middle East Eye. 

In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher highlighted the dire circumstances, noting that while numerous trucks carrying baby formula and essential nutritional aid are prepared to enter Gaza, they continue to be held up at the border.

On the evening of May 19th, Israel permitted five aid trucks carrying baby formula and other vital supplies to pass through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing at the southern end of the Gaza Strip — the first entry in close to three months. 

Fletcher, meanwhile, referred to the delivery as a “drop in the ocean” and noted that the assistance had still not made its way to the affected communities.

Humanitarian groups have verified that no aid has yet been distributed on the ground.

That same night, Israeli airstrikes escalated throughout Gaza, with at least 135 people — the majority of them women and children — killed.

Since March 2nd, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened significantly, largely due to Israel’s total blockade, which has drastically limited the flow of food, medical supplies, and fuel into the region. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification reports that one in five people in Gaza is facing starvation, with nearly 60,000 children under the age of five at risk of acute malnutrition.

Calls for Israel to ease the blockade have grown louder internationally. On May 19th, the UK, France, and Canada announced they would take “concrete actions” against Israel if it failed to allow humanitarian aid through and cease its renewed military offensive in Gaza.

On May 18th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to ease the 11-week blockade on aid, stating that the move was essential to avoid a “starvation crisis” in Gaza and was made for “diplomatic reasons”.

Despite this, sources within Gaza informed Middle East Eye that the trucks remain stuck on the Palestinian side of the crossing.

The UN also reported that individuals are dying from treatable illnesses, as medical supplies remain stuck at the border, and ongoing attacks on hospitals are both depriving people of care and discouraging them from seeking it.

More recently, Israeli attacks have knocked both the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis (southern Gaza) and the Indonesian Hospital in the north out of service, leading to the evacuation of thousands and cutting off essential healthcare for already at-risk populations.

Since 7 October 2023, Israel’s military invasion of Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 53,655 Palestinians, including more than 15,000 children, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The Gaza-based Government Media Office has reported that at least 58 people have died from malnutrition and 242 from the lack of access to food and medical care.

Middle East Eye/ Al Jazeera/ Maghrebi.org/ UN/ UNRWA