UNRWA has issued an urgent appeal for humanitarian intervention to replenish essential supplies for infants in Gaza following an 11-week Israeli blockade that has led to aid delivery being cut off, leaving life-saving baby food, formula, vaccines and medical supplies severely diminished – placing lifesaving resources at risk amongst Gaza’s youngest and most vulnerable residents.
UNRWA Communications Director Juliette Touma recently noted the desperate situation infants face, noting all essential supplies have dwindled down in Gaza resulting in children going hungry at bedtime and infants having difficulty breastfeeding (theguardian.com/article/808848388 )
+8 A companion report found that infant formula and baby food have virtually vanished, while vaccines against preventable diseases remain extremely scarce.
Health workers report rising malnutrition rates; over 66,000 children under five suffer from severe acute malnutrition; many infants enter critical conditions daily (reuters.com/media/12 or unrwa.org/12 or Wikipedia 12).
UNRWA’s own field updates confirm that no humanitarian supplies, whether commercial or aid, have entered Gaza for more than 10 weeks (unrwa.org.org+15 and unicef.org.org +15 respectively).
UNRWA Issues Warning
Last week, UNRWA Humanitarian Country Team made clear in a statement: “UNRWA requires unimpeded access and all humanitarian partners – including itself – must be allowed to deliver supplies and critical services”
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General has repeatedly highlighted how funding UNRWA isn’t just essential; it is integral for sustaining over 2 million Gaza residents – many of them infants – with whom UNRWA works. unicefusa.org/+7 or un.org/8/7 and Apnews/apnews /7/7 each have infant populations who depend on it to survive.
In April, UNICEF, WHO, and relief agencies together issued a warning about Gaza: with essential services having collapsed across Gaza, immediate action must be taken “to save lives and support children’s recovery”. These warnings were published at unicefusa.org
Backlog at Crossings
Although 100 aid trucks were recently allowed into Gaza after weeks of blockade, officials consider them just “drops in the ocean.” UNRWA health director Akihiro Seita noted that delays may cause malnutrition rates to spike exponentially (reuters.com).
Even this partial resumption has demonstrated the tenuous state of affairs: most supplies — such as formula, dried milk, premixed baby food and vaccination kits– remain trapped outside, creating a public health emergency.
Human Toll and Healthcare Vulnerabilities Hospitals are already stretched to their limit: according to reports from Al Shifa Medical Center and other facilities, fuel shortages have disrupted incubators and critical care for newborns; similar incidents last year resulted in several infant deaths when hospitals did not have sufficient power supply for incubators and neonatal equipment (for more information see Reuter’s.com: 9-10 for details). Toward this end, many have called on Al Gore’s government and coalition allies reuters: https:// en.wikipedia.org +9 umplut negru negru +9 negru umplut umplut
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Doctors working in Gaza warn of how even minor interruptions to infant formula and rehydration salts could prove fatal for malnourished infants, since breastfeeding may also be compromised due to maternal malnutrition; infant formula is therefore lifesaving – yet is failing them now.
UNRWA has issued an appeal for global coordination that seeks a holistic solution: opening secure corridors for aid delivery, relaxing restrictions at crossings and reinstating infant vaccination programs as well as replenishing supply lines from pre-crisis levels of 500+ trucks per day.
These organizations also urge donor countries, particularly the U.S. and EU, to immediately replenish funding that supports child nutrition programs, medical outreach initiatives, and baby-friendly health centers. A U.S. legislative proposal known as the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act is being considered in Congress to this effect (time.com; apnews; carsonhousegov; globalministries.org +1).
Without quick intervention, this situation could spiral out of control: reports indicate that thousands of infants could experience life-threatening conditions and long-term health setbacks as a result of this supply collapse.
Key Questions Ahead
Will Israel authorize and permit more humanitarian aid convoys–particularly targeting infant needs–to pass through its territory?
Will donor nations step up their funding and logistical support quickly?
Can infant malnutrition and disease outbreaks be addressed before they cause a wider public health crisis?
Conclusion
UNRWA’s warning underscores an alarming reality: Gazan babies are on the brink of starvation. With supplies at near-zero levels, international action must be immediate and significant to halt what could become an unspeakable tragedy among its most vulnerable inhabitants.