More aid should be allowed—UN warns over Gaza situation
New York: Malnourished pregnant women and newborn babies in Gaza will be affected for generations, a United Nations official has warned. He suggested to increase the assistance if they want to get rid of life-long health problems. Andrew Saberton, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), spoke to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York after visiting Gaza, which has become a desert due to Israel’s destruction. He said that there is an atmosphere of terror in Gaza. A quarter of Gaza’s population is starving, he said. “There are 11,500 pregnant women who are starving. Malnutrition is dangerous not only for the mother but also for the new-born babies,’ said Saberton. It is said that 70 percent of newborns are stunted and they are born prematurely. It was only 20 percent before the war began. ‘Malnutrition has an intergenerational effect. Not only on the mother but also on the child born. It is necessary to take proper care for the health of such people for a long time. “There’s always going to be a problem throughout a baby’s life,” explained Saberton. He said the movement of humanitarian personnel has increased due to the ceasefire. He said that only limited relief materials are allowed and it is not enough.
94 percent of hospitals were destroyed
Saberton said there is a severe shortage of medical supplies and facilities in Gaza. 94 percent of hospitals were damaged or destroyed, and the remaining hospitals were said to be providing only emergency services. Maternal mortality in Gaza is high and the reason for this is the lack of access to even basic facilities such as contraception, he said. He said that some choose unsafe abortions and take their own lives. Saberton warned that more than 1.7 million people in Gaza suffer from urinary problems, and if the problem is not addressed immediately, it will be a lifelong problem.
Children who are missing out on education
85 percent of the schools were destroyed in the massacre by the Israeli forces in Gaza. The education system there has completely collapsed. There is a shortage of people to teach children as ruins are seen everywhere. UNICEF Regional Director Eduard Begbeder said in Jerusalem that there is a danger that Otaram will be away from education. He said that if schools do not open by February, it will be like stepping into the fourth year and it will lead to a generation being deprived of education. Destruction is visible everywhere in Gaza, he said. He explained that although some centers have been set up temporarily, they are learning reading, writing and mathematics for only three days and there is a lot to be done to provide basic education. He said that even those centers do not have minimum facilities. Out of 300 schools run by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, 80 are in need of repair, he said. Begbeder commented that ‘food is for survival… education is for filling hope’.
