UNICEF sounded a clarion call amidst the backdrop of Israel’s incursion into Rafah, emphasizing the perilous plight faced by some 600,000 children ensconced within the city’s confines, on Monday April 6th, 2024.
“Given the high concentration of children in Rafah – including many who are highly vulnerable and at the edge of survival – as well as the likely intensity of the violence, with potential evacuation corridors likely mined or littered with unexploded ordnance; and shelter and services in areas for relocation very likely to be limited – UNICEF is warning of a further catastrophe for children,” the rights group said in a statement.
Highlighting the historical pattern of disproportionate civilian casualties and the decimation of critical infrastructure in the wake of Israeli military operations, UNICEF painted a grim tableau of Rafah’s current reality.
Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director, underscored the profound vulnerability of Rafah’s burgeoning population of children, who find themselves adrift amidst the tumult, their physical and psychological resilience already worn thin.
Urging for an immediate ceasefire, UNICEF spotlighted the dire health predicament afflicting the city’s youngest denizens, with a staggering majority grappling with infectious diseases. Rafah, a crucible of displacement, now shelters over 1.5 million Palestinians, driven from their homes by the protracted war that engulfed their areas and homes.
Yesterday, ‘Israel’ ordered 100,000 Palestinians in eastern Rafah to flee the area ahead of a planned ground invasion.
Israeli official told NBC that the incursion into Rafah is a limited operation to achieve tactical objectives and pressure Hamas in negotiations. However, dozens of Palestinians there were killed in more than 8 massacres in less 24 hours.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned the military operations in Rafah and Israel’s control over the Palestinian side of the crossing, warning that they threaten efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire
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