Latest news with #KazemAbuKhalaf
Al Etihad
24-05-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
UNICEF: Medical teams in Gaza operating under extreme pressure
24 May 2025 17:57 GENEVA (ALETIHAD) Medical teams in the Gaza Strip are operating under extreme pressure due to severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies, compounded by frequent power outages and a lack of fuel essential for running hospital equipment, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on a statement published on the agency's official website, UNICEF spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf said the situation in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly and could spiral into a long-term humanitarian catastrophe if not addressed urgently. 'We are not asking for the impossible. We are asking for the implementation of international law, which guarantees civilians the right to health care, life, and freedom of movement,' he Khalaf emphasised that children, women, and elderly individuals in critical condition are dying each day due to the inability to access adequate medical treatment. He stressed that humanitarian aid alone is not sufficient to address the crisis, urging for a comprehensive plan to rebuild the local economy, stabilise border crossings, and ensure the steady entry of goods, fuel, and medical health system in Gaza, he noted, is nearing total collapse due to continuous Israeli airstrikes and a prolonged blockade. Of the 36 hospitals that were operational before the start of the war, only 18 remain partially functional, most running at less than 50% capacity. Moreover, he noted that more than 10,500 injured Palestinians urgently need to leave Gaza for treatment abroad. However, the current rate of medical evacuations stands at just two people per day.
Saba Yemen
24-05-2025
- Health
- Saba Yemen
UNICEF: Medical personnel in Gaza Strip are operating under extreme pressure
Geneva - (Saba): UNICEF spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf confirmed that medical personnel in the Gaza Strip are operating under extreme pressure, amid a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, in addition to power outages and a shortage of fuel needed to operate medical equipment in hospitals. In a statement published on the organization's official website on Saturday, Abu Khalaf said that the United Nations is not demanding the impossible in the Gaza Strip, but rather the implementation of international law, which guarantees civilians the right to treatment, life, and movement. He added, "If Gaza is left in this situation, we are facing a humanitarian catastrophe whose effects will be felt for decades." He pointed out that critical cases of children, women, and the elderly are dying daily due to their inability to receive adequate medical care. He explained that the situation cannot be fixed with aid alone, but rather requires a comprehensive plan to rebuild the economy and operate and open the crossings on a stable basis that allows the entry of goods, fuel, and medical supplies. Abu Khalaf added that the health system in the Gaza Strip has almost completely collapsed due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment and blockade. He pointed out that the number of hospitals operating in the Strip before the war was 36, but this number has decreased to only about 18, most of which are operating at a partial capacity of no more than 50%. He stated that more than 10,500 wounded Palestinians need to leave the Gaza Strip for urgent treatment abroad, but the rate of discharges is only two cases per day. Abu Khalaf continued, "If the situation continues like this, we will need more than 13 years to complete the discharge of all wounded for treatment." Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Saba Yemen
17-04-2025
- General
- Saba Yemen
UNICEF: Situation of children in Gaza is dire, on brink of collapse
Gaza - Saba: Kazem Abu Khalaf, spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Palestine, said that the situation in the Gaza Strip is extremely dire and that the consequences are dire and on the brink of collapse if the situation continues as it is. Abu Khalaf added in statements to Al Jazeera on Thursday that people in the Gaza Strip are trapped in a "maze of death, especially children," noting that this is the longest period the Strip has gone without any aid being brought in due to the closure of the crossings. He continued: "Large numbers of children are being killed now in the worst period since the beginning of the war," explaining that the average number of children killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war has reached 27 per day. He explained that the "Israeli" war has so far left behind 39,000 orphans, including 2,000 who have lost both parents. He said, "Those who live are arrested, and if they are not arrested, they are injured, and if they are not injured, they miss the school year. This is the situation of children in Gaza," stressing that there are children detained from the Gaza Strip in addition to the West Bank. Whatsapp Telegram Email
Arab News
06-04-2025
- Health
- Arab News
UNICEF forced to shut down malnutrition centers in Gaza amid worsening humanitarian crisis
GAZA: The UN Children's Fund has closed 21 malnutrition treatment centers in the Gaza Strip, citing ongoing Israeli military operations and recent evacuation orders in the areas where these centers were operating. Kazem Abu Khalaf, a spokesperson for the organization, said on Sunday that the closures were directly linked to Israel's renewed military actions and the increasingly volatile security situation, Palestinian WAFA news agency reported. Abu Khalaf added that UNICEF was currently awaiting findings from a special body tasked with assessing the scale of food insecurity in Gaza, with the aim of presenting a comprehensive picture of the deteriorating conditions. The closures come as Gaza faces an unprecedented humanitarian emergency, exacerbated by Israel's continued blockade of aid into the enclave. According to UNICEF, Israeli authorities have blocked all crossings into Gaza for 35 consecutive days, preventing the entry of food, medical supplies, and nutritional supplements. On Saturday, UNICEF issued a stark warning, stating that more than one million children in Gaza have been cut off from life-saving humanitarian assistance for over a month. The organization condemned the blockade, calling it a violation of international humanitarian law with devastating consequences for children and other vulnerable groups. UNICEF confirmed it has thousands of aid parcels ready for immediate delivery but has been unable to gain access. It also revealed that food supplies for infants in Gaza have been entirely depleted, while the remaining stock of ready-to-use infant milk is only sufficient to feed 400 children for one month. The crisis in Gaza has intensified since the resumption of hostilities in March, which ended a temporary ceasefire which came into force earlier this year. Israel's war with Hamas, which started in October 2023, has left much of Gaza's infrastructure in ruins and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned of the risk of famine and a collapse of basic health services unless humanitarian access is urgently restored.
Gulf Today
06-04-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Unicef announces closure of 21 malnutrition treatment centres in Gaza
The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf announced on Sunday the closure of approximately 21 malnutrition treatment centres in Gaza due to Israel's resumption of the aggression and the recent evacuation orders issued for areas where these centres were operating, WAFA news agency reported. In a press statement, Abu Khalaf explained that Unicef is awaiting a report from the special body tasked with assessing food security in Gaza to present the findings. He further emphasised that Israel continues to block the crossings into Gaza, preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, medical supplies, nutritional supplements, and other essential materials for the 35th consecutive day. On Saturday, Unicef declared that over one million children in Gaza have been deprived of life-saving assistance for more than a month. The organisation condemned the ongoing Israeli blockade, calling it a violation of international humanitarian law with devastating consequences for children. Unicef also confirmed that it has thousands of aid parcels waiting to be delivered to Gaza and stressed that they must be allowed entry immediately. Additionally, the organisation reported that complementary food supplies for infants in Gaza have run out, and only enough ready-to-use milk remains to feed 400 children for a month. WAM
