UN corrects statement
UN Spokesman Tom Fletcher.
Photo:
Zhang Yuwei / Xinhua / AFP
On May 21, 2025, RNZ ran
stories across programmes
and bulletins based on a BBC interview with UN Spokesman Tom Fletcher where he said, "14,000 babies would be at risk of dying in Gaza within a 48-hour period due to starvation".
This claim was corrected by the UN a short time after that interview.
The statement was based on an IPC report which warned 14,100 severe cases of acute malnutrition were expected to occur between April, 2025, and March, 2026, among children aged between six months and five years.
RNZ reports of the interview which ran before - or without - the UN correction have been retracted.
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UN corrects statement
UN Spokesman Tom Fletcher. Photo: Zhang Yuwei / Xinhua / AFP On May 21, 2025, RNZ ran stories across programmes and bulletins based on a BBC interview with UN Spokesman Tom Fletcher where he said, "14,000 babies would be at risk of dying in Gaza within a 48-hour period due to starvation". This claim was corrected by the UN a short time after that interview. The statement was based on an IPC report which warned 14,100 severe cases of acute malnutrition were expected to occur between April, 2025, and March, 2026, among children aged between six months and five years. RNZ reports of the interview which ran before - or without - the UN correction have been retracted.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
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UN corrects statement 14,000 babies in Gaza could die in 48 hours after it was debunked
UN Spokesman Tom Fletcher. Photo: Zhang Yuwei / Xinhua / AFP On May 21, 2025, RNZ ran stories across programmes and bulletins based on a BBC interview with UN Spokesman Tom Fletcher where he said, "14,000 babies would be at risk of dying in Gaza within a 48-hour period due to starvation". This claim was corrected by the UN a short time after that interview. The statement was based on an IPC report which warned 14,100 severe cases of acute malnutrition were expected to occur between April, 2025, and March, 2026, among children aged between six months and five years. RNZ reports of the interview which ran before - or without - the UN correction have been retracted.
