UNICEF UK Gaza Update

UNICEF UK is pleased with the financial response received since their appeal at Christmas, but since then 1,300 people have been killed, with 412 of the victims being children.

Despite the fragile current ceasefire, the threat to children is not over as unexploded bombs are a very real danger, with two children killed by such devices only last week. The lack of clean water and basic sanitation, severely reduced health services and the destruction of homes continue to put children’s lives at risk across the war torn area.

Thanks to a constant stream of donations pouring in from all over the country UNICEF UK has managed to supply the people of Gaza with –

  • Six trucks loaded with UNICEF family hygiene kits entered Gaza this week, two truck-loads will be distributed immediately to people made homeless and the remaining kits will be distributed as inaccessible areas open up.
  • Water Purification tablets, also trucked into Gaza this week, will help provide safe drinking water over the next three months.
  • UNICEF support has ensured that the vaccine storage facilities are now functional. A measles vaccination campaign to reach 120,000 children will start imminently.
  • UNICEF radio spots are being aired daily on four radio stations in Gaza to make children aware of the risks of unexploded bombs and 100,000 leaflets highlighting the dangers have been distributed.
  • 200 primary schools will be equipped with school-in-a-box kits over the next few weeks as UNICEF and our partners begin a programme to get all 373 government schools open again.

These supplies could only reach the war torn people of Gaza thanks to your donations.