Gaza: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Saturday of the escalating risk of disease outbreaks among children in the Gaza Strip, given the sharp deterioration of the humanitarian situation and the continued harsh weather conditions.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the organization stressed the urgent need to accelerate and intensify the delivery of humanitarian aid, particularly clothing and tents, warning that the delayed arrival of essential supplies, coinciding with the effects of the storm, exacerbates health threats and exposes children’s lives to increased risks.

Nutrition assessments conducted by UNICEF and its partners in Gaza last month revealed that 9,300 children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition. The organization called for the safe, rapid, and unimpeded transfer of humanitarian aid, including the large quantities of winter supplies accumulating at the Gaza Strip’s borders.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stated, “Thousands of children under the age of five continue to suffer from acute malnutrition in Gaza, and many lack adequate shelter, sanitation, and protection from the winter cold.”

The organization further noted, “Children in Gaza continue to face hunger, disease, and exposure to freezing temperatures in conditions that put their lives at grave risk.” UNICEF highlighted that “many basic food items, particularly animal-based foods, remain unavailable or too expensive for most of the population.”