Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
NEW YORK: The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that more than 170 children were killed during the Israeli occupation's aggression on the Gaza Strip early Tuesday (March 18) morning, the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) reported.
In a statement on its official website, the office said that on Wednesday (March 19), the total number of civilians killed as a result of these raids reached more than 400, including more than 170 children and 80 women.
It noted that rescue teams and paramedics were unable to reach many of the victims due to a lack of equipment, fuel, and heavy machinery.
The office explained that only four field hospitals are fully operational in the area, while 22 hospitals and six field hospitals are partially operational.
Another 13 hospitals and four field hospitals have completely ceased operations due to destruction and a shortage of medical personnel and medicines.
The office quoted the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, as saying: "The situation is catastrophic, and we have many victims."
OCHA warned that more than one million people in the Gaza Strip could face severe food shortages if humanitarian aid deliveries to the area do not resume, adding that they are at risk of not receiving food rations in March if deliveries to Gaza do not resume.
It stressed that available stocks in the Strip are rapidly depleting, and to address the shortage, UN partners have sharply reduced food assistance, suspended the distribution of flour and fresh food, and reduced the quantity of hot meals in public kitchens.
The office also warned that if the situation continues, at least 80 of the 170 public kitchens in the Strip will be forced to close within a week or two. - Bernama-WAFA
