EU official says Palestinian children dying of hunger, urges urgent action

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Palestinian children are dying of hunger while survivors face the risk of lifelong disabilities, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib warned Wednesday, urging urgent international action.

Speaking at a high-level UN event on the Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza, Lahbib said: "These children deserve more than our sympathy. They deserve our action, our courage and our resolve."

She stressed that famine has already been declared in Gaza City, noting that since January, 44,000 children have been threatened by acute malnutrition, including more than 8,000 in severe condition. By June next year, malnutrition could endanger over 130,000 children under five, with more than 40,000 severe cases expected.

"Children are dying of hunger, and those who survive risk living with lifelong disabilities caused by malnutrition," she said.

She highlighted the dire situation of education, saying nearly 660,000 students in Gaza have already lost two full years of in-person schooling.

"In Gaza, 97% of schools are damaged, and over 430 have been directly hit since October 2023. In the West Bank, 75 schools have been destroyed or vandalized, and 84 are under demolition orders," she added.

Recalling her recent meeting with two Palestinian youths from the occupied West Bank, Lahbib shared their testimony about growing up under occupation, playing amid tear gas, waiting for hours at checkpoints to reach school, living in fear of arrests, and returning home to find their houses taken over by settlers.

"No child will truly be safe until fighting stops," she underlined, calling on Israel to fully lift the blockade on Gaza, allow "immediate and unimpeded" humanitarian access, and enable UN agencies and aid groups to operate freely.

She also urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians, humanitarian workers, and children caught in conflict.

"As members of the international community, we have duty to protect children's rights in Palestine and everywhere," she said.

The Israeli army has killed more than 65,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.