Gaza City: James Elder, spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said on Sunday that Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip are struggling severely to secure even a single daily meal for their children.

According to Emirates News Agency, Elder described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as 'bleak, horrific, and hopeless,' emphasizing that bombs and missiles are entering the besieged territory in far greater quantities than food. He pointed out that any hopes raised by discussions of a ceasefire have quickly disappeared. 'There was a momentary uptick in aid and slight improvements in water and food supplies,' he noted. 'But that optimism has quickly dissolved in the face of a catastrophic blockade on humanitarian relief.'

Elder painted a grim picture of life in Gaza, where families endure relentless nights under airstrikes and spend their days fleeing hunger and explosions. 'Every known limit of human endurance has been shattered,' he stated. Many families have been living in tents for over six months amid continuous tank fire and are now being forced to relocate once again. He highlighted that Gaza has been facing this devastating reality for more than 600 days.

Estimating the number of children dying from hunger daily or weekly is nearly impossible under such conditions, Elder warned. He stressed that malnourished children are dying from treatable illnesses. Even accessing hospitals has become perilous for sick or malnourished children, as the remaining 19 partially functioning hospitals, of which only eight are public, lack essential medical supplies.