GENEVA: The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, on Tuesday revealed that an average of ten Palestinian children per day are losing one or both of their legs due to ongoing Israeli bombardments in Gaza.
“Basically we have every day 10 children who are losing one leg or two legs on average,” Lazzarini told reporters in Geneva, highlighting the devastating toll of the ongoing Israeli bombardments on Gaza’s civilian population.
Citing data from UNICEF, Lazzarini emphasized that the figures only account for leg injuries and do not include the various cases of injuries to arms and hands, which are also prevalent among children caught in the Israeli violence.
“Ten per day, that means around 2,000 children after the more than 260 days of this brutal war,” Lazzarini stated, underscoring the long-term impact of the Israeli military campaign on Gaza’s youngest residents.
Describing the conditions under which amputations occur, Lazzarini noted that these procedures often take place “in quite horrible conditions,” sometimes without adequate anesthesia.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 37,658 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s military offensive began on October 7 last year. The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with infrastructure heavily damaged and basic services strained.
UNRWA, which coordinates the majority of aid to Gaza’s population, faces significant challenges amidst ongoing hostilities and a severe funding crisis. Lazzarini highlighted that the agency currently has financial resources secured only until the end of August.
Lazzarini warned the agency was facing relentless attacks and a deep funding crisis. “We have the cash until the end of August,” Lazzarini stated, emphasizing the urgent need for additional funding. “We still have a shortfall of about $140 million… to bridge the end of the year,” he added.
Amidst the humanitarian crisis, international organizations have raised alarm over the impact on children, with Save the Children estimating that up to 21,000 children are missing in the chaos of the war.
