2023-12-20 16:23:27
Three months following Israel’s attack on Gaza, children in Gaza bear the horrors of war. UNICEF warns that lack of clean drinking water and lack of facilities, including toilets, puts the lives of thousands of children at risk.
Tens of thousands remain as refugees in southern Gaza. One and a half to two liters of water is available to one of them a day. UNICEF warns that this situation has moved to a point where it has a negative impact on the survival of a large number of people.
This was pointed out by UNICEF in a statement issued on Wednesday. UNICEF also notes that limited aid supplies to refugees and the destruction of infrastructure are increasing children’s vulnerability to disease.
A human being needs at least three liters of clean water per day for a healthy life. If water for cooking and other purposes is included, it rises to 15 liters per day. But children in Gaza only get a drop of water to drink. UNICEF Executive Director Kathryn Russell explains that access to clean water is fundamental to life.
Water scarcity forces children and their families to use contaminated water. Consumption of impure water can lead to waterborne diseases, dehydration and malnutrition. It can lead to future illness and death in children. The UN warns that a great disaster awaits Gaza.
UN agencies also point out that the number of epidemics in Gaza underlines this situation. According to WHO data from November 29 to December 10, the incidence of abdominal diseases among children under five years is reported to be 66 percent higher. An increase of 55 percent was recorded among adults. Apart from this, meningitis, chicken pox, jaundice and respiratory infections have also increased, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Another reality is that the humanitarian aid supplies currently available in Gaza are not meeting the current needs of the people. Reports also show that there are more people than can be accommodated in many camps.
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