UNICEF: Gaza a 'graveyard' for children
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James Elder, UNICEF's spokesperson, reiterates calls for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, amid the death of thousands of children since the beginning of the occupation's genocide on the Strip.
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UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder speaks during a press conference in Geneva on October 31, 2023. (Video screengrab)
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has again called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, as thousands of children have died amid "Israel's" ruthless campaign of genocide on the Strip, in what the UNICEF described as "a living hell."
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said in a presser in Geneva on Tuesday, "Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children," adding, "It's a living hell for everyone else." He noted that more than 3,450 children have died in Gaza since October 7.
The death toll is constantly rising amid the Israeli genocide in the strip. Just today, Israeli occupation forces committed a new massacre that resulted in more than 400 martyrs in Jabaliya Refugee Camp.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in #Gaza reported that the number of martyrs has risen since October 7 to 8,525 martyrs, including 3,542 children and 2,187 women.#Palestine #GazaUnderAttack#GazaGenocide pic.twitter.com/yVty81AwPL
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 31, 2023
Elder further tackled the issue of "Israel" blocking water to the strip, as more than 1 million children are now at risk of dying from dehydration as a result of the Israeli blockade.
“Our gravest fears about the reported numbers of children killed becoming dozens, then hundreds, and ultimately thousands were realized in just a fortnight,” Elder expressed.
With Gaza’s children “living through a nightmare,” Elder said, "Israel" must end its blockade of the territory, “And if there is no ceasefire – no water, no medicine, and no release of abducted children – then we hurtle toward even greater horrors afflicting innocent children.”
Read more: Gaza's hospitals received several evacuation orders: UN spox
UN Human Rights director resigns over UN's inaction in Gaza genocide
Craig Mokhiber, the Director of the New York Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, has resigned from his position in protest at the UN's perceived inability to prevent the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
"This will be my last communication to you," Mokhiber wrote in his resignation letter to the UN high commissioner in Geneva, Volker Turk on October 28.
"We are seeing a genocide unfolding before our eyes, and the Organisation that we serve appears powerless to stop it," he added.
Mokhiber has expressed concern over the unfolding genocide and called for efforts to combat apartheid and establish a single, secular, democratic state in historic Palestine based on human rights for all its people.
The #genocide we are witnessing in #Palestine is the product of decades of Israeli #impunity provided by the US & other western governments & decades of #dehumanization of the Palestinian people by western corporate media. Both must end now. Speak up for #HumanRights
— Craig Mokhiber (@CraigMokhiber) October 30, 2023
Mokhiber has had a long career with the UN since 1992, holding various significant positions. He has been involved in developing a human rights-based approach to development and has served as a senior human rights adviser in several regions, including Palestine, Afghanistan, and Sudan.
Mokhiber, who is an international human rights law specialist, lived in Gaza in the 1990s. As the director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, he has occasionally faced criticism from pro-Israeli groups for his social media comments. Specifically, he was scrutinized for expressing support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement and for accusing "Israel" of practicing apartheid, a charge he reiterated in his resignation letter.
