The situation in Gaza for children is, to say the least, heart-breaking. Reports indicate that thousands of children have lost their lives. Some key statistics are the following:

1. Child Fatalities: At least circa 20,000 children were reported killed as of lately.
2. Malnutrition and Starvation: Circa 55,000 children are acutely malnourished, with    12,800 severely so. Tragically, at least 50 children under five have died from malnutrition.
3. Birth Rate Decline; Gaza’s birth rate has declined by 41% over the past three [3] years.
4. Displacement and Trauma: Circa 2 million people are displaced, with many children experiencing severe trauma and losing family members.

The humanitarian crisis is severe, with limited access to food, water, medical care and humanitarian aid. Organizations like UNICEF and UNRWA are working to provide aid, but the situation remains dire.

In this contribution, I will focus on the work being done by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund [UNICEF]. Its basic mission focusing on improving lives of children and families within the international community.

UNICEF is actively supporting Gaza’s children’s initiatives. UNICEF is providing clean drinking water to over 1.6 million people and distributing blankets and winter clothes to 700,000. Furthermore, UNICEF has restored pediatric intensive care services at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Some of their key efforts include the following.

1. Health; Providing vaccines, nutrition supplies, and medical care to prevent disease outbreaks.
2. Water and Sanitation; Ensuring access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
3. Child Protection; Offering mental health support, family reunification, and protection services.
4. Nutrition; Treating acute malnutrition and providing nutrition supplies to vulnerable children and pregnant women. UNICEF has also delivered over 350 aid trucks to Gaza, containing essential supplies like water, hygiene kits, and warm clothes.

Particular reference is made to what was said by the UNICEF Spokesperson – James Elder – in Geneva [Switzerland]: UNICEF is setting and scaling up a learning programme for GAZA children. This will include circa 340,000 children. This has been set up together with education partners in Gaza and the Palestinian Ministry for Education. This will restore access to education for hundreds of thousands of Gaza children.

This initiative is important for several reasons. Gaza has one of the strongest literacy traditions in the world. Education in Gaza has become difficult to access and costly. Finally, it is an investment for the near future. It will educate future engineers who will rebuild water systems, architects and civil engineers who will design and build homes and infrastructural projects, teachers who will educate children and doctors who will save lives!

It is important that the Maltese Government will show its clear intent to participate in this noble and effective initiative and concretely help UNICEF.

Author: Edward Zammit Lewis Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Foreign And  European Union Affairs