The United Nations says many seriously injured children in the Gaza Strip are dying because ambulances are hardly ever allowed to transport patients to hospitals outside the region.

“Those who barely survived the ruthless bombardments are then condemned to die from their injuries,” James Elder, a spokesman for the UN children’s fund UNICEF, said in Geneva.

The number of evacuated children has dramatically decreased to fewer than one child per day since the closure of the Rafah border crossing in May, said Mr Elder.

Despite their perilous situation, those affected are at the mercy of an indifferent bureaucracy, the UNICEF spokesman said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that between 12,000 and 14,000 patients of all age groups in the Gaza Strip required urgent transfer to hospitals outside the area for treatment.

A WHO spokesperson has called for the urgent re-establishment of medical corridors to save the lives of civilians.

The Israeli military has been bombing the coastal strip and also deploying ground troops to retaliate against Hamas since the Palestinian militant group carried out its deadly terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023.

Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health authority says tens of thousands of people have been killed so far. 

(dpa/NAN)