"Nowhere safe" for children in Gaza, Unicef director says

For children in Gaza there is “nowhere safe,” Catherine Russell, the Unicef executive director said after a rare visit to the besieged enclave.

“The parties to the conflict are committing grave violations against children; these include killing, maiming, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access – all of which Unicef condemns,” she said in a statement on Wednesday. 

“Many children are missing and believed buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings and homes...Meanwhile, newborn babies who require specialised care have died in one of Gaza’s hospitals as power and medical supplies run out, and violence continues with indiscriminate effect," she added. 

Russell called on the parties to the war to implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, to safely release all abducted and detained children, and to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.