More than 1,750 children have already been killed by Israeli strikes launched against Gaza, AFP reported citing the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Hospitals face a dire lack of medicines, fuel, and water not only for the thousands wounded in more than two weeks of Israeli offensive in Gaza but also for routine patients.
“We have currently 120 neonates who are in incubators, out of which we have 70 neonates with mechanical ventilation, and of course, this is where we are extremely concerned,” said UNICEF spokesman Jonathan Crickx on Sunday.
Power is one of the main worries for the seven specialist wards across Gaza treating premature babies to help with breathing and provide critical support, for example when their organs are not developed enough.
Amid widespread electricity cuts, the World Health Organization warned on Thursday that hospitals had already run out of fuel for generators.
The WHO said that about 1,000 people needing dialysis will also be at risk if the generators stop.
“If they (babies) are put in mechanical ventilation incubators, by definition, if you cut the electricity, we are worried about their lives,” the UNICEF spokesperson told AFP.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said on Saturday that 130 premature babies were in danger of dying due to the lack of fuel.
Around 160 women give birth each day in Gaza, according to the UN Population Fund, which estimates there are 50,000 pregnant women across the territory of 2.4 million people.
AMK/PR
