UNICEF condemns ‘unconscionable’ killing of families awaiting aid in Gaza

New Delhi, Jul 11: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has denounced the killing of civilians, including women and children, during an aid distribution in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, on Thursday. According to UN News, the victims were lining up to receive nutritional supplements provided by Project Hope, a UNICEF partner, when the attack occurred. Fifteen Palestinians reportedly died in the incident, among them nine children and four women. An additional 30 people were injured, including 19 children. Preliminary reports indicate the casualties followed an Israeli strike in the area.

UNICEF described the event as emblematic of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where access to aid remains severely restricted. Many of those killed had been seeking food and relief after months of hunger and deprivation. The agency cited the case of a critically injured mother who lost her one-year-old son in the explosion.

The organization warned that insufficient aid flows are compounding the crisis, putting children at heightened risk of starvation as the threat of famine grows. UNICEF emphasized that international humanitarian law obligates all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and ensure safe delivery of humanitarian assistance.

UN officials have called for an urgent review of operational conduct in conflict zones to prevent further civilian harm. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reiterated that all sides are bound by law to avoid excessive civilian casualties. OCHA also reported another strike in Gaza City on the same day, which killed three staff members of a humanitarian partner organisation.

Meanwhile, the UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric raised alarm about the fuel shortage in Gaza. Although 75,000 litres of fuel were brought in from Israel, the first such delivery in over four months, this quantity falls far short of daily needs. Aid agencies require hundreds of thousands of litres each day to sustain essential services, including water, health care, and food distribution.

The scarcity of fuel threatens to disrupt clean water supplies for around 44,000 children, raising the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera and dysentery. Education efforts have also been disrupted. Out of 626 temporary learning spaces established in Gaza since October 2023, fewer than half remain functional due to displacement, lack of funds, and ongoing hostilities.

The UN noted that even humanitarian workers are now experiencing hunger and water scarcity. Aid providers, including UN personnel, continue to operate under severe conditions, facing the same life-threatening hardships as the civilian population they are trying to assist. UN officials reiterated their call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and the release of all hostages. They stressed that the humanitarian situation has reached catastrophic levels, and urgent international action is needed to avert further suffering.