Latest news with #humanitarianaccess
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Health
- Al Mayadeen
Gaza mothers starving, infant deaths reach critical levels: UN
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has issued a grave warning over the dire conditions faced by tens of thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza, as extreme hunger continues to jeopardize their health and the survival of their newborns. In a statement shared by UNFPA's Arab States Regional Office on X, the agency revealed that approximately 50,000 women in Gaza 'haven't eaten for days.' Malnourishment is preventing mothers from breastfeeding, while baby formula remains unavailable due to ongoing shortages. This has resulted in a spike in premature and underweight births. 'Babies are born too soon, too small,' the post read. 'Newborns are at risk of death or lifelong health issues.' 50,000 pregnant & breastfeeding women in #Gaza haven't eaten for are born too soon, too are too malnourished to breastfeed — & formula is are at risk of death or lifelong health is preventable. #OpenUpGaza Let aid in. the crisis as preventable, UNFPA called for immediate humanitarian access, urging: '#OpenUpGaza Let aid in.' UN agencies continue to report severe restrictions on humanitarian access, compounding the suffering of women, children, and other vulnerable groups. Aid organizations have consistently appealed for unimpeded delivery of essential life-saving assistance. Since the genocide began in October 2023, nearly 57,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli occupation forces, the majority of whom are women and children. Constant bombardment has devastated infrastructure, triggered famine-like conditions, and contributed to the spread of disease. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant over charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Separately, "Israel" is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) released new data this week pointing to a drastic increase in child mortality across Gaza. According to a retrospective mortality survey conducted by its epidemiological unit, Epicentre, the death rate for children under five has increased tenfold since the war began. The survey covered 2,523 individuals, including MSF staff and their families. It found that the overall death rate was five times higher than pre-war levels, while mortality among newborns under one month rose sixfold. 'The children of Gaza are being decimated,' said Amande Bazerolle, deputy manager of MSF's emergency department. 'Forty-eight percent of the people who died from blast injuries among our colleagues' households were children, and 40 percent were under 10 years old.' According to the report, over 2% of those surveyed have died since October 7, 2023, and 7% have sustained injuries. Around 75% of deaths were war-related, mainly due to explosions. The survey also underscored the collapse of Gaza's healthcare system. Two-thirds of chronically ill patients reported interruptions in treatment. Even among MSF families, who had relatively better access to care, 20% experienced at least one injury from blasts or gunfire within their household. 'This is the result of the Israeli campaign to systematically destroy the health system and the means of survival of the whole population,' MSF stated. The organization called on "Israel" to halt what it described as a 'genocidal campaign,' lift the blockade, and enable urgent medical evacuations, particularly for children. Read more: 'Skin and bones': Gaza's infants starve under Israeli siege
France 24
15-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Divided EU weighs action against Israel over Gaza war
The bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has put forward 10 potential steps after Israel was found to have breached a cooperation deal between the two sides on human rights grounds. The measures range from suspending the entire accord or curbing trade ties to sanctioning Israeli ministers, imposing an arms embargo and halting visa-free travel. But despite growing anger over the devastation in Gaza, EU states remain divided over how to tackle Israel and diplomats say there appears to be no critical mass for any move. "I was asked to give the inventory of the options that could be taken and it's up to the member states to discuss what do we do with these options," Kallas said Monday. The tone of discussions will be shaped strongly by how Israel is implementing a promise to the EU to improve humanitarian access to Gaza. Kallas said Thursday she had struck a deal with her Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, to open more entry points and allow in more food. Gaza's two million residents are facing dire humanitarian conditions as Israel has severely limited aid during its devastating war with Palestinian militant group Hamas. "We see some good signs of more trucks getting in," Kallas said Monday. "But of course we know that this is not enough and we need to push more (so) that the implementation of what we have agreed also happens on the ground." At a meeting of EU and neighbouring countries in Brussels on Monday, Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said the situation in Gaza remained "catastrophic". 'No justification' Israel's Saar, speaking at the same meeting, sounded confident his country would avoid further EU action. "I'm sure not any of them will be adopted by the EU member states," said the foreign minister. "There's no justification whatsoever." While the EU appears unable for now to take any further moves against Israel, just getting to this stage has been a considerable step. The bloc only agreed to review the cooperation deal after Israel relaunched its devastating operation in Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire in March. Until then deep divisions between countries backing Israel and those more favourable to the Palestinians had hamstrung any move. The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which led to 1,219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Of the 251 people taken hostage by militants that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry says that at least 58,386 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign. The UN considers those figures reliable. © 2025 AFP
