These are “children who survived bombardment, but may not survive a famine”, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros said on X, formerly Twitter. 

In addition to the ongoing violence, the head of WHO gave a warning and a video from the paediatric unit at Kamal Adwan Hospital revealed the significant level of support needed that UN humanitarians and partners have been unable to provide due to obstacles from Israeli authorities.

Medical emergency

In the northern hospital of Gaza, the staff has been unable to prevent the death of at least 10 children due to severe malnutrition and dehydration. This has sparked concerns of a potential famine in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues for almost five months.

Dr. Imad Dardonah stated that if a child is expected to consume three meals a day, but only eats one, it is not sufficient. Due to lack of resources, only 50-60% of cases can be properly addressed and the best that can be provided is a saline or sugar solution.

Ceasefire calls

The announcement coincided with news that the US has made changes to a preliminary UN Security Council resolution, which urges a “prompt cessation of hostilities for approximately six weeks in Gaza and the liberation of all captives.”

For a resolution to be adopted in the 15-Member Security Council, it must receive at least nine votes in favor and cannot be vetoed by any of the permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

At the moment, talks about a truce tied to the liberation of all hostages still being held have been ongoing for three days in Cairo as the pressure for the conflict to come to a stop grows, with numerous international leaders, including US Vice President Kamala Harris, calling for an “immediate” halt to the fighting for a period of six weeks.

The impact of shipping in the Red Sea.

In response to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s worries on Monday about the potential for the Gaza conflict to spread to other countries in the Middle East, UN economists reported a significant decrease in maritime trade in the Red Sea over the past two months.

The ongoing attacks on shipping in solidarity with Gaza carried out by Houthi fighters in Yemen have caused concerns to rise.

In their most recent report on the amount of goods being shipped internationally, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) expressed ongoing worries about the delay and disturbances facing container ships traveling to the Suez Canal. This vital water passage greatly reduces the travel time for shipping between Europe and Asia compared to the longer route around the southern tip of Africa.

Carbon data

According to UNCTAD’s recent report on global trade, due to the potential threat of attacks in the Red Sea, a significant number of ships are choosing to take a longer route around Africa instead of going through the canal. As of the first half of February 2024, 586 container vessels have changed their route, resulting in an 82% decrease in container tonnage passing through the canal.

In the previous year, the major sea path was responsible for around 22% of the world’s shipping of containers, transporting various commodities such as natural gas, oil, cars, raw materials, and numerous manufactured goods and industrial parts between the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Atlantic Ocean.

The ongoing assaults on ships in the Red Sea, including the most recent attack reported by the Indian Navy on Tuesday, have caused further problems for the shipping industry.

In 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused significant disturbance and had a major effect on trade in the Black Sea. Additionally, sea levels have declined due to climate change, resulting in decreased transit through the Panama Canal.

Crisis point

UNCTAD has stated that the world is currently experiencing a unique situation where two significant global maritime trade routes are disrupted at the same time. This is anticipated to have significant impacts on inflation, as well as the security of food and energy supply.

The author of the report, Jan Hoffman, cautioned about the climate consequences of persistent disruptions to global shipping routes, especially for developing nations.

As per UNCTAD, the average velocity of shipping has risen by roughly six percent since December, resulting in a significant and harmful emission of carbon.

He stated that ships that are diverted from the Suez and Panama Canal paths are required to increase their speed in order to make up for the longer route, resulting in higher fuel consumption and increased CO2 emissions, which adds to existing environmental worries.

Source: news.un.org