14,000 babies could die in Gaza within 48 hours without aid: UN
A United Nations chief warned on Tuesday that up to "14,000 babies" in Gaza could die "within the next 48 hours" if humanitarian aid doesn't reach them promptly.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the UN's humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher emphasised the urgency of the situation, saying that thousands of trucks loaded with baby food and nutritional supplies are ready to enter Gaza but remain stalled at the border.
“This is not food that Hamas is going to steal,” Fletcher said. “We run the risk of looting. We run the risks of being hit as part of the Israeli military offensive. We run all sorts of risk trying to get that baby food through to those mothers who cannot feed their children right now because they’re malnourished.”
On Monday evening, Israel allowed five aid trucks carrying baby food and other essential supplies to enter Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, situated at the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, marking the first such delivery in nearly three months.
Fletcher however described the delivery as a "drop in the ocean" and added that the aid had not yet reached the communities in need.