Children in Gaza dying from hunger as ceasefire negotiations progress slowly

On Monday, the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the first time, following several failed attempts in recent months.

Israel subsequently cancelled a high-level visit to Washington after the United States abstained from the vote rather than using its power of veto.

As ceasefire negotiations continue, people in Gaza are already experiencing intense starvation while the UN’s famine review committee say famine in the north of the strip is now “imminent”.

In a report published last week, the UN committee noted that hunger in Gaza could be “prevented or alleviated” but that all evidence was pointing towards “a major acceleration of death and malnutrition”.

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On today’s In the News podcast Unicef spokesperson James Elder, who is currently visiting the Gaza strip, speaks about the severe hunger already plaguing the lives of Palestinians caught up in this conflict.

“I listened to the young girl who a few hours ago grabs my hand and asks for a tomato, a single tomato,” Elder told today’s episode of In the News. “Or a mother who explains that her 12-year-old daughter has reoccurring dreams that she’s eating a cucumber. This is what children dream of in the Gaza strip, vegetables. But even those dreams, we’re unable to fulfil.”

Elder also describes the “extraordinary” bond Palestinians feel with people in Ireland.

“Gaza is the only place I’ve ever thought about fibbing and saying I’m Irish because I see some Irish colleagues who get even bigger hugs from people. You have a special bond here so I’m totally unsurprised that it’s resonating with people in Ireland. I’m not sure it is everywhere, I’m not sure the general public in all western countries are aware.”

Presented by Sorcha Pollak.

Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Declan Conlon.