Statement by Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, following her two-day visit to the Middle-East

NEW YORK/JERUSALEM, 16 April 2024 – “Today I completed a two-day visit to the Middle East, where escalating violence continues to take an unconscionable toll on the lives of children.

 

“On the first day in Israel, I met with some of the many Israeli families who experienced unspeakable violence on 7 October, including children taken hostage, the killing of loved ones, and the loss of homes and communities.

 

“A relative of the two remaining Israeli children held hostage in Gaza, 4-year-old Ariel and his one-year-old brother, Kfir, told me that he just wants them back, along with their mother and father. ‘We love them so much.’

 

“Family members of released child hostages told me of the horror of being held captive, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. Six months later, families of Israeli hostages do not know the fate of their loved ones still in Gaza – making healing or recovery impossible.

 

“The staff at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach-Tikvah, where some of the Israeli child hostages were cared for after their release in November, told me that it would be a long road to recovery for the children to feel safe again.

 

“I also had constructive meetings with Israeli officials, including on the horrific humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the urgent need to ensure better access. I welcomed their assurance that humanitarian workers will have better access to the children who are in desperate need. We look forward to the critical implementation of this assurance, along with security for aid workers and the children they serve.

 

“On my second day, I visited the State of Palestine, where I met with families and officials in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. I heard distressing accounts from families and children about fear and violence that has long permeated their lives and has significantly escalated in the past six months. This year alone, 37 Palestinian children and two Israeli children have been killed in the violence.

 

“I met children who are challenged by barriers and checkpoints every day when they go to school. I also spoke with a young boy who was first detained by authorities when he was 11. His brother is now being detained and the family does not know his location.

 

“I visited Al Makassed hospital in East Jerusalem, where I met baby triplets Noor, Najwa and Nejma. Doctors told me that their mother came to the hospital from Gaza eight months ago to give birth, and the babies were so small they needed an incubator and special medical care to survive. Their mother had to go back to Gaza, but then war broke out and she has been unable to return. She fears she could die before seeing them again.

 

“At the same time, in the Gaza Strip, more than 13,800 children have reportedly been killed, while thousands have been injured and thousands more are on the brink of famine.

 

“Our staff at UNICEF have not been spared by the violence. Many of our colleagues have lost family, friends and homes in Gaza. Over 200 humanitarian workers have been killed trying to save the lives of others.

 

“Children do not start wars, and they cannot end them, but they always pay the highest price. For the sake of every child, I urge the parties to the conflict to release all Israeli hostages, implement an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and facilitate unfettered humanitarian access, and refrain from any further violence against children.

 

“The last few days were a reminder that hostilities can quickly spread through the region. As always, children suffer immensely in war. Each of us has an obligation to do everything in our power to protect the lives of children.

SOURCE:

Catherine Russell,

UNICEF Executive Director, https://uni.cf/3TZpVci

41 thoughts on “Statement by Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, following her two-day visit to the Middle-East

  1. Those are yours alright! . We at least need to get these people stealing images to start blogging! They probably just did a image search and grabbed them. They look good though!

  2. 188bet là nhà cái uy tín số 1 trên toàn Châu Á. Được thành lập vào tháng 4/2006 với sự phát triển không ngừng và cung cấp hơn 700 trò chơi cá cược, 188bet đã khẳng định được vị trí của mình với hơn 5,560,000 bet thủ đang tham gia chơi tại nhà cái này.

  3. Sao79 Club or Sao Win is a reputable card game portal with more than 500,000 downloads by 2024. Enjoy playing card games, Sic Bo, coin toss, fish shooting, lottery… Sao79 allows cross-platform transactions via Momo Pay, scanned bank codes, transfer, Zalo Pay, scratch cards… along with quick withdrawals to bank accounts, ATM cards. https://sao79.vip/

  4. f8bet mang den mot the gioi giai tri dinh cao, noi nguoi choi co the tan huong nhung trai nghiem doc dao va thu vi nhat tren thi truong. f8bet-vn.co

  5. Nhatvip la trang giai tri truc tuyen thuoc hang top trong khu vuc chau A. Moi nguoi se co nhung giay phut thu gian tuyet voi nhat neu nhu den nhatvip2.club

  6. F8bet Bar la thuong hieu nha cai F8bet cung cap link vao F8bet khong bi chan moi nhat. Truy cap f8bet.ba de co the tan huong khong gian song bac truc tuyen uy tin voi giao dien dep mat

  7. 888b tu hao khang dinh vi the la nha cai truc tuyen hop phap va uy tin, duoc yeu thich boi hang trieu nguoi choi tren toan Viet Nam. 888b-vn.me

  8. Max 88 – Cổng Game Giải Trí Đỉnh Cao Dành Cho Bạn, là nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến hàng đầu, mang đến trải nghiệm game đa dạng và hấp dẫn. Với giao diện thân thiện, bảo mật tối ưu và kho trò chơi phong phú, Max88s là lựa chọn hoàn hảo cho mọi tín đồ yêu thích giải trí trực tuyến. Khám phá ngay hôm nay để tận hưởng niềm vui bất tận https://max88s.com/

  9. 12bet tu lau da duoc biet den la trang ca do bong da co dien, chiem tron niem tin va tro thanh lua chon ca cuoc hang dau cua nguoi choi tai Viet Nam. bong88-vn.co

  10. Esta página tem definitivamente toda a informação que eu queria sobre este assunto e não sabia a quem perguntar. Este é o meu primeiro comentário aqui, então eu só queria dar um rápido

  11. B52 Club là sân chơi đổi thưởng “làm mưa, làm gió” với dịch vụ chất lượng cao cùng kho game khủng. Nền tảng đã trở thành điểm đến lý tưởng cho hàng triệu người đam mê cá cược online khắp châu Á. Gameb52club.com

  12. Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back often!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *