Amid growing international calls for restraint from Israel in Gaza and reports on Wednesday of further deadly strikes overnight, UN humanitarians underscored the ongoing devastating impact of the war and the need to ensure reliable aid supply lines to people in desperate need in the enclave.
“One-third of all the families who live here have children under five, so many babies, so many kids,” said Matthew Hollingworth, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Palestine Country Director, speaking from a school in Deir Al Balah, run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
“What they need is school, though what they need is more clean water, what they need is more stability. They need a normal life,” the veteran aid official insisted, in a video post on X.
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Echoing those concerns, UNRWA noted that there have been more than 360 attacks on its facilities since the beginning of the war. In additional to the tens of thousands of victims, vital infrastructure has been impacted, including the agency’s water well in Khan Younis city.
Getting the precious water source up and running again will require clearing tonnes of debris which the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has found to contain “a lot of dangerous materials and shrapnel”, said communications officer Louise Wateridge. “Which means that instead of coming in with bulldozer and clearing it, it all needs to be removed piece by piece, safely.”
Finding refuge at school
The Al Qastal UNRWA school in the central Gaza Strip is now home to around 2,400 families who have been displaced by nearly seven months of war in Gaza.
“People come from all over the Strip, from Gaza City itself, from Khan Younis next door. From all of the different neighbourhoods where people have been impacted because of the war,” Mr. Hollingworth explained, his comments coming amid unconfirmed reports that two children died in an overnight Israeli strike on a house in Rafah, with more killed when an apartment block was hit in Gaza City.
While deep concerns persist about a possible Israeli invasion of Rafah – which UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Tuesday “would be an unbearable escalation” – the WFP official noted that UN aid agencies along with international and local relief partners have worked together successfully to provide lifesaving assistance further north.
In the case of Al Qastal school, recipients assistance includes food and special nutritional supplements for babies and infants to ensure healthy growth, Mr. Hollingworth explained.
West Bank demolition update
In a related development and a sign of the worsening tinderbox situation in the wider Middle East, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, published new data from the occupied West Bank, showing that demolition of Palestinian property and displacement continue unabated.
Latest data from OCHA indicated that up to 22 April, more than 380 structures have been demolished in West Bank governorates, uprooting 650 people.
If the destruction continues at this rate, by the end of the year, a record 1,500 properties face being razed, the highest number since OCHA began compiling data in 2009.
Jerusalem governorate saw the highest level of damage, with 80 buildings demolished and 115 people displaced.
Toll keeps rising
Latest information from Gazan health authorities indicates that at least 34,568 Palestinians have been killed and 77,765 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 7.
Some 1,250 people were killed in Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel that sparked the war, with more than 250 taken hostage. Dozens are still believed to be held captive in the enclave.
New York protest cleared
The development came as hundreds of police officers reportedly cleared a pro-Palestinian protest involving hundreds of people at Columbia University in New York late Tuesday.
At the authorities’ behest, police removed demonstrators who had barricaded themselves inside a building on campus, while there were reports of major clashes between rival demonstrators overnight on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Hours earlier, UN rights chief Volker Türk cautioned against any “heavy-handed steps” by some universities in the United States when dealing with Gaza war protests.
The Columbia university president had announced that dialogue with protesters had failed and the institution would not bow to demands to divest itself from Israel.
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“It’s heartbreaking to read about the devastating impact of the war on innocent families, especially children under five. The urgent need for reliable aid supply lines to ensure basic necessities like clean water and stability cannot be overstated. I hope for a swift ceasefire to bring some relief to the people in Gaza.”
As a mother, it breaks my heart to hear about the devastating impact of the conflict on the children in Gaza. It’s crucial for all parties involved to prioritize the well-being and safety of innocent civilians, especially the young ones. I hope that efforts for ceasefire and humanitarian aid will bring some relief to the people in desperate need.
It’s heartbreaking to hear about the innocent children suffering in Gaza. Every child deserves a safe and peaceful environment to grow up in. I hope the international community can provide the necessary support to ensure their well-being.
Do the international calls for restraint have any impact on Israel’s actions in Gaza?
International calls for restraint may influence Israel’s actions to some extent, but ultimately, the decisions of a country at war are complex and multifaceted. It’s crucial to continue advocating for peace and humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of civilians in Gaza.
“One-third of all the families who live here have children under five, so many babies, so many kids,” said Matthew Hollingworth, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Palestine Country Director, speaking from a school in Deir Al Balah, run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.“What they need is school, though what they need is more clean water, what they need is more stability. They need a normal life,” the veteran aid official insisted, in a video post on X.