UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban has just been on a visit to Israel, Gaza and The West Bank. He was shocked at the famine unfolding and the deep suffering of the people in Gaza.
He said:
“On Monday, when I was in Gaza, I met the families of the 10 children killed and 19 injured by an Israeli airstrike while they were queuing for food with their mothers and fathers at a nutrition clinic in Deir el-Balah that UNICEF supports.
“We met with Ahmed, who is 10 years old and his father. Ahmed was in line with his sister, 13-year-old Samah, that day. She died. There’s a picture I saw of him furiously waving down a donkey cart to try to see if he could save her and get her to the hospital, but he was unable to.
“He is deeply traumatised and does not know what to do. This simply should not be happening. The children I met are not victims of a natural disaster. They are being starved, bombed, and displaced.”
On Saturday 2 August, Peace campaigners will stand in vigil for all those in Gaza facing the struggle to survive. The Vigil lasts for 1 hour, from 1 to 2pm, on the Kirk Green, Broad Street, and people are welcome to join who share in the calls for an immediate ceasefire, the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, and the return of all hostages. Every week the islanders have been joined by visitors to Orkney, some that are only here for the day, but who take time out of their visit to stand in vigil.
Ted Chaiban’s description of what he saw in Gaza is deeply disturbing. He went on to speak about the malnourished children ‘infants whose bodies were little more than skin and bone. ‘
UNICEF is doing what it can within the limitations being imposed by Israel: supporting breastfeeding, providing infant formula, and treating children with severe acute malnutrition.
Ted Chaiban continued:
“But the needs are enormous after 22 months of war, two months of a blockade, which has now been eased, but is still having an impact, and the aid is not getting in fast enough or at the required scale as of yet.”
On July 27, Israel announced humanitarian pauses, allowing aid to pass through.
In July alone, UNICEF managed to deliver 147 trucks inside Gaza with essential supplies, including:
- Nutrition supplies
- Baby food
- Milk
- High-energy biscuits
But it is nowhere near enough. Killings are still occurring at the privately run US/Israel military-styled aid distribution centres where starving people queuing for food for their families are targeted by Israeli and US mercenary snipers.
The Scottish Government has renewed its call for the UK Government to recognise the State of Palestine, which PM Sir Keir Starmer says he will only do if the military campaign by Israel continues. More about that story here:
The Orkney News has been documenting the protests in Orkney since they started at the end of October 2023. Here’s a short film of the latest one:
‘Don’t Mention the Children’ by Michael Rosen
Don’t mention the children.
Israel bans radio advert listing names of children killed in Gaza
(Guardian 24.07.14)
Don’t name the dead children.
The people must not know the names
of the dead children.
The names of the children must be hidden.
The children must be nameless.
The children must leave this world
having no names.
No one must know the names of
the dead children.
No one must say the names of the
dead children.
No one must even think that the children
have names.
People must understand that it would be dangerous
to know the names of the children.
The people must be protected from
knowing the names of the children.
The names of the children could spread
like wildfire.
The people would not be safe if they knew
the names of the children.
Don’t name the dead children.
Don’t remember the dead children.
Don’t think of the dead children.
Don’t say: ‘dead children’.
Fiona Grahame