Highlights of the noon briefing by Deputy Spokesman for UN Secretary-General (excerpt on Occupied Palestinian Territory) 12 June 2024

12 June 2024

(Excerpt)

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Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in Gaza, UNICEF warns that nearly 3,000 children in southern Gaza have been cut off from treatment for moderate and severe acute malnutrition – putting them at risk of death.

The agency is also concerned that malnutrition cases could continue to rise when treatment services are collapsing.

Only two of three stabilization centres that treat seriously malnourished children in Gaza are still functioning. UNICEF says that plans for the opening of new centres have been delayed due to ongoing military operations across the Strip.

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), escalating hostilities across Gaza continue to pose significant barriers to accessing healthcare. Despite these challenges, our humanitarian partners are currently reaching some 280,000 people per week in Gaza with health services.

Meanwhile, a shortage of cooking gas and the absence of a public power supply is hindering efforts to keep community kitchens and bakeries running. Efforts to distribute food remain constrained by the active fighting, damaged roads, limited number of entry points into Gaza, sub-optimal operating hours at crossings and checkpoints, and the limited number of trucks allowed access.

Meanwhile, OCHA says that the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to escalate, amid ongoing violence by Israeli forces and settlers. Since 7 October, more than 520 Palestinians – nearly a quarter of them children – have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Almost three quarters of those fatalities occurred during operations by Israeli forces. During the same period, more than 5,200 Palestinians were injured in those areas.

OCHA says that violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers is also on the rise, with more than 960 such attacks reported in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 7 October.

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