The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned of a growing risk of disease outbreaks among children in the Gaza Strip, stressing the urgent need to accelerate the entry of humanitarian aid as severe winter weather compounds an already dire humanitarian crisis.

In a statement published Saturday on its official website, UNICEF said worsening weather conditions, combined with prolonged delays in the delivery of essential supplies, are posing escalating threats to children’s health and safety across the besieged enclave.

The agency emphasized the urgent need for winter-related assistance, including warm clothing, blankets, and tents, noting that thousands of displaced families are currently sheltering in inadequate and overcrowded conditions that offer little protection from cold, rain, and strong winds.

UNICEF called on relevant authorities to allow large quantities of humanitarian aid currently stockpiled at Gaza’s borders to enter the territory “safely, quickly, and without obstruction,” warning that further delays could lead to preventable illness and deaths, particularly among infants and young children.

The organization also highlighted alarming findings from recent nutrition assessments carried out by UNICEF and its partners in Gaza during November. According to the assessments, at least 9,300 children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition, placing them at heightened risk of disease, developmental complications, and death.

Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that Gaza’s healthcare system is overwhelmed and ill-equipped to cope with rising malnutrition and potential disease outbreaks, especially as clean water, sanitation, shelter, and medical supplies remain scarce.

UNICEF stressed that children are paying the highest price for the ongoing humanitarian crisis, urging the international community to act immediately to ensure unrestricted humanitarian access and to prevent further deterioration of conditions for Gaza’s youngest and most vulnerable residents. (ILKHA)