UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher has issued a grave warning, stating that nearly 14,000 children in Gaza could die within the next 48 hours if critical aid does not reach them immediately. He emphasised that, despite the dire humanitarian crisis, no effective relief has been delivered on the ground.
Speaking in an interview on BBC Radio 4, Fletcher said that the amount of aid currently being allowed into Gaza by Israel is dangerously inadequate and falls far short of what is needed to combat the unfolding famine.
Under mounting international pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced a partial easing of the 11-week-long blockade on humanitarian aid. However, Fletcher described this as only a minimal step forward.
He noted that only five aid trucks managed to enter Gaza on Monday, May 19, calling it "a drop in the ocean." Though the trucks contained baby food and other nutritional supplies, they have not yet reached the general population and remain stalled in border areas.
"I want to save as many of these 14,000 children as possible over the next 48 hours," Fletcher urged.
When asked how this alarming figure was determined, he explained that the UN has a strong network of field teams still operating, despite many having been killed. These teams are working in hospitals, schools, and various locations to assess the most urgent needs and report on the ground reality.
