Unicef calls for ceasefire in Gaza to protect children

A senior UN Children's Fund official called on Friday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to end the killing and maiming of children and enable the urgent delivery of desperately needed lifesaving aid.

Unicef's deputy executive director for humanitarian action and supply operations Ted Chaiban told a media briefing on his mission to Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank that the scale of the destruction, of the suffering of children has considerably increased. The total number of displaced people moved from 1.7 to 1.9 million people.

He said there is a need for a negotiated political solution, one that prioritises the rights and well-being of children.

Chaiban also said that the second round of a vaccination campaign to protect 640,000 children in Gaza against polio will also deliver micronutrients — essential vitamins and minerals — and conduct nutritional screening. Discussions are also underway about the feasibility of adding further vaccinations to the campaign, including a measles immunisation, said Chaiban.

"There are over 44,000 children born in the last year and who haven't received their basic immunisation," he said.

Agencies