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The War on Gaza’s Children
Isaac Chotiner / The New Yorker
Click here for the article in the New Yorker
Click here for the text
Summary
Isaac Chotiner interviews UNICEF spokesperson James Elder about the spiraling humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where children face death from both violence and starvation. Elder, recently returned from his fifth mission to the Strip, recounts harrowing stories of malnourished and wounded children, overwhelmed hospitals, and a lack of basic necessities such as clean water and electricity.
He describes the catastrophic impact of Israel’s blockade and the flawed aid delivery system now managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, where chaotic and militarized distribution sites have led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians. Elder emphasizes that the collapse of Gaza’s health and food systems has forced desperate families into impossible decisions, with many children dying not just of starvation but of untreated infections and wounds. His testimony paints a devastating picture of a war zone where the most vulnerable suffer the most.
Quotes
“Children’s bodies aren’t waiting for that technical definition [of famine]… That’s happening — so children’s bodies are degrading and the immune system is starting to collapse.” — James Elder, UNICEF
“There is such a horrendous lack of painkillers… You’d hear the children and their screams. So I certainly noticed that as a person, parent, human.”
“If Israel allowed fuel or turned on the power for these desalination plants, that problem would be solved. That’s a level of stress on a population I saw that I hadn’t seen before.”
“One woman… spent nine years conceiving, and her son and her husband had just been killed. And so she didn’t know what she wanted. There is nothing to do in those situations.”
“This little guy was extraordinary… He had a medical-evacuation form, and he was screaming in pain… On the day I left Gaza, that little boy died.”
“I see people bleeding, see people dead… but we did everything we were told. Why did they do that?” — Gaza resident
Click here for the article in the New Yorker
Click here for the text
Summary
Isaac Chotiner interviews UNICEF spokesperson James Elder about the spiraling humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where children face death from both violence and starvation. Elder, recently returned from his fifth mission to the Strip, recounts harrowing stories of malnourished and wounded children, overwhelmed hospitals, and a lack of basic necessities such as clean water and electricity.
He describes the catastrophic impact of Israel’s blockade and the flawed aid delivery system now managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, where chaotic and militarized distribution sites have led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians. Elder emphasizes that the collapse of Gaza’s health and food systems has forced desperate families into impossible decisions, with many children dying not just of starvation but of untreated infections and wounds. His testimony paints a devastating picture of a war zone where the most vulnerable suffer the most.
Quotes
“Children’s bodies aren’t waiting for that technical definition [of famine]… That’s happening — so children’s bodies are degrading and the immune system is starting to collapse.” — James Elder, UNICEF
“There is such a horrendous lack of painkillers… You’d hear the children and their screams. So I certainly noticed that as a person, parent, human.”
“If Israel allowed fuel or turned on the power for these desalination plants, that problem would be solved. That’s a level of stress on a population I saw that I hadn’t seen before.”
“One woman… spent nine years conceiving, and her son and her husband had just been killed. And so she didn’t know what she wanted. There is nothing to do in those situations.”
“This little guy was extraordinary… He had a medical-evacuation form, and he was screaming in pain… On the day I left Gaza, that little boy died.”
“I see people bleeding, see people dead… but we did everything we were told. Why did they do that?” — Gaza resident
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