UN: 14,000 infants could die in Gaza within 48 hours due to blockade

GAZA, May 21 (YPA) – The United Nations warned on Tuesday that approximately 14,000 babies in the Gaza Strip could die within 48 hours if life-saving humanitarian aid does not reach them promptly.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said that the amount that entered the Strip falls far short of the required response, adding that Gaza is experiencing “very high levels of acute malnutrition,” with hunger threatening a quarter of a million people suffering from severe food deprivation.

In an interview with the BBC, Fletcher explained that relief teams estimate that 14,000 infants could die within 48 hours if they do not receive immediate food aid.

He also pointed out that the trucks that entered through the Kerem Abu Salem crossing on Monday, a small number compared to the 600 trucks that entered daily during periods of calm, had not yet reached the population.

On Tuesday, Israel allowed 100 additional trucks to enter, but Fletcher expressed fears that these trucks could be looted amid growing chaos and despair in the besieged enclave.

This comes amid a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip since March 2, with food stocks running out at international organizations after 79 days of blockade.

@E.Y.M