UN Gaza report: 10,000 women killed, leaving 19,000 children orphaned
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A recent report by UN Women highlights the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where more than one million women and girls are grappling with severe shortages of food, clean water, and basic hygiene necessities.
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Palestinian mother and her child evacuate following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi Mosque in Gaza on Oct. 9. (AFP via Getty Images)
UN agencies issued a dire warning on Tuesday, revealing that nearly 10,000 women have been killed in the past six months due to Israeli aggression and systematic famine in Gaza. They highlighted a staggering statistic: one child is either injured or killed every 10 minutes.
In a related development, a recent report by UN Women revealed a devastating toll of the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza: an estimated 6,000 mothers have been among the casualties, leaving behind approximately 19,000 children orphaned.
The report also highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where more than one million women and girls are grappling with severe shortages of food, clean water, and basic hygiene necessities. it is worth noting that disease is spreading rapidly in the face of inhumane living conditions.
Adding to the urgency, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has called for an immediate ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The aim is to rebuild hospitals, including the severely damaged al-Shifa Hospital, which has been rendered nearly non-functional after recent Israeli military actions.
WHO highlights challenges in restoring medical facilities in Gaza
WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic underscored the immense challenges faced in restoring medical facilities, citing the daunting task of cleaning the emergency department alone.
Amid the deteriorating healthcare infrastructure in Gaza, with only one-third of its 36 hospitals functional, the preservation of the enclave's remaining health system is deemed crucial, emphasized Jasarevic.
However, significant needs persist, with over 76,000 people injured, according to local authorities. Concerns have been raised regarding medical procedures such as amputations and C-section births being conducted without anesthesia.
Jasarevic reiterated the call for an effective, transparent, and workable deconfliction mechanism to ensure the safety of aid convoys amid ongoing Israeli aggression. This appeal follows the tragic killing of seven aid workers from the NGO World Central Kitchen in Israeli airstrikes on April 1.
Furthermore, Jasarevic highlighted challenges faced by WHO missions, with more than half of planned missions experiencing denials, delays, or other obstacles, hindering crucial access to healthcare services.
UN calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
UN human rights chief Volker Turk issued an emotional plea on Monday, calling on "all States with influence" to intervene and halt the escalating human rights and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Turk condemned the Israeli imposition of unlawful restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid, as well as its extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure. He reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire.
UN Human Rights Chief condemns settler attacks in West Bank
The High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed grave concern over the recent surge in violence and waves of attacks targeting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers, often with the support of Israeli occupation forces.
Armed settlers, accompanied by Israeli occupation forces, have reportedly raided multiple towns across the occupied West Bank, including al-Mughayyir, Beitin village in Ramallah, Duma, and Qusra in Nablus, as well as areas within the Bethlehem and al-Khalil Governorates. This incursion has led to numerous injuries among Palestinians and widespread destruction of homes, buildings, vehicles, and other property over the past few days.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported Tuesday that the number of Palestinians martyred since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza now stands at 33,843, in addition to 76,575 injuries.
