– At least 242 journalists killed so far
– Over 100 children lost to malnutrition; over 300,000 at severe risk
New York: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the killing of six Palestinian journalists in Gaza. Five of these reporters worked for the Al Jazeera media network and were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in Gaza City on Sunday.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric made this announcement during a news briefing on Monday in New York. “These latest killings highlight the extreme risks journalists continue to face while covering the ongoing war.
The Secretary-General calls for an independent and impartial investigation into these latest killings.
He also noted that at least 242 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began nearly three years ago. The Secretary-General emphasises that journalists and media workers must be respected and protected; “they should be allowed to carry out their work freely, without fear or harassment,” he added.
In related news, the number of children in Gaza who have died from malnutrition since October 2023 has surpassed 100, according to Gazan health authorities, as reported by the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) indicated that more than one-third of the population has not eaten for days at a time.
Furthermore, acute malnutrition is rising, with over 300,000 children at severe risk.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recently warned that only 1.5% of cropland in the enclave remains accessible and undamaged, signalling a nearly total collapse of local food production.
On the aid front, the UN and its partners collected food and hygiene kits from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem border crossing on Wednesday.
“However, supplies were offloaded directly from these trucks before reaching their destination, given the extreme desperation pervasive in Gaza today,” OCHA stated.
The agency stressed that people in Gaza “need a predictable lifeline—not a trickle of aid—so they do not feel compelled to take desperate measures to survive.”
According to the WFP, to meet the basic humanitarian food assistance needs, over 62,000 metric tonnes of supplies must enter Gaza monthly. However, humanitarians have not been permitted to bring in sufficient supplies to support the population.
Humanitarians also collected fuel from the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday. Israel is currently allowing the entry of about 150,000 litres of fuel daily, which is still far below the minimum required. Consequently, life-saving operations remain at risk.
The Palestine Civil Defence organisation has warned that more than half of its ambulances have stopped operating across Gaza due to shortages of both fuel and spare parts.
“Israeli authorities must allow aid to enter through all crossings and available corridors so humanitarians can deliver assistance—at scale, in a safe and dignified manner—to reach the most vulnerable, including women, children, and older people,” OCHA urged.
