More than 600,000 children in Rafah, southern Gaza, are grappling with hunger and fear amidst the threat of Israeli attacks, according to James Elder, spokesman for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
On Saturday, Elder shared a video on X account, shedding light on the plight of children striving to survive in Rafah amid Israeli assaults, following the influx of 1.5 million people into the area as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression.
Elder pointed out that the children and families fleeing Israeli attacks were told to head to Rafah as it would be safe there. However, despite this assurance, brutal attacks have been carried out.
“Rafah is a city for children. There are 600,000 boys and girls, yet they are under threat of military assault, trapped in Rafah, with no safe place to go,” Elder stated.
He highlighted the daily struggle of parents trying to instil hope in their children despite the fear and hunger, emphasizing that the word “hope” is at risk of being erased from the vocabulary in Gaza.
Elder urged everyone who empathizes with the pain and fear of parents towards their children and those who believe in childhood to put an end to this suffering in Rafah.
Since last October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving tens of thousands dead and wounded, most of whom are children and women, in addition to causing humanitarian, health, and environmental catastrophe, due to the destruction of vital facilities and the overflow of sewage in large areas.
Moreover, the occupation has cut off all supplies of electricity, water, fuel and food to the residents of the Gaza Strip, bombed bakeries, factories, stores, water stations and tanks, and destroyed the infrastructure.
The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights, as it exposes the lives and property of civilians to extreme danger and suffering, which requires urgent intervention from the international community to stop the aggression and protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.
