UN raises alarm: 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in next 48 hours without aid

The UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, has spoken to BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the deplorable amount of aid Israel is allowing into Gaza.

International pressure over a looming food crisis forced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce Sunday evening that he would ease the devastating 11-week aid blockade to prevent a "hunger crisis" in Gaza - but only to a minimal level.

Fletcher said five trucks of aid went to Gaza yesterday, but described this as a "drop in the ocean" and completely insufficient for the needs of the population, foreign media write, according to the Telegraph.

He stressed that the aid trucks, which contain baby food and nutrients, are technically in Gaza, but have not reached civilians as they are only on the other side of the border.

In this regard, Fletcher warned that 14,000 babies could die in 48 hours if help does not reach them in time.

"I want to save as many of these 14,000 babies as possible in the next 48 hours," he told the BBC.

Asked how the UN arrived at this figure, he replied: “We have strong teams on the ground – and of course many of them have been killed… we still have many people on the ground – they are in medical centres, they are in schools… trying to assess the needs.” /Telegraph/