Gaza: majority of Palestinian victims still women and children – UN humanitarians
In Gaza, as more Palestinian casualties of the Israeli military offensive are identified by the enclave’s health authorities, UN humanitarians reiterated on Tuesday that a high proportion of women and children were indeed among the 35,000 dead.
Since the beginning of the war in the enclave triggered by Hamas’ deadly 7 October attacks in Israel, the United Nations has consistently relied on casualty figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health, noting that independent verification is not possible. Last week, the health authorities updated the breakdown of the figures based on the number of bodies identified, but the UN has maintained that neither the overall death toll nor the proportion of women and children killed had gone down.
Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), told the Press in Geneva: “We're basically talking about 35,000 people who are dead. And really every life matters, doesn't it? We know that many and many of those are women and children, and there are thousands missing under the rubble.”
Speaking on behalf of the UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office, OCHA, Jens Laerke clarified that “what has been provided additionally by the Ministry of Health is more detailed information about a subsection of the overall tally” of the 35,000 dead.
Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the UN World Health Organization (WHO), explained that as the Gaza Ministry of Health “identifies every single body… gives names to people to give closure to their family, their friends - that's when these figures get updated and the data get updated”.
Some 25,000 have been identified, he said, calling the growing number of identified bodies “a step forward” and “a typical and very normal process in any conflict”.
Among the 10,000 remaining dead, some are not reachable, including those “in mass graves”. These individuals need to be brought back to a health centre or morgue for identification, Mr. Lindmeier said, insisting that “every single of these figures is a person with a name, a history and a family”.
The WHO spokesperson also warned against getting “sidetracked” by the death toll updates and breakdowns.
Two recent OCHA situation reports have been widely “scrutinized” for changes in the proportion of women and children killed, he said. However, if one applies the breakdown by gender and age of the 25,000 bodies now identified to the remaining unidentified 10,000 casualties, women and children still represent about 60 per cent.
The UN health agency spokesperson also pointed out that under collapsed houses, there is a “high likelihood that you find rather women and children because they are the ones typically staying at home while the men are out looking for food, looking for business, looking for any supplies for their families”.
Mr. Lindmeier further insisted on the challenges of identification in a “difficult conflict” where people have been “displaced five, six, seven times”, and where, in certain areas, “not a single health worker, no ambulance” can venture to recover dead bodies.
“Once everybody is recovered, you may have a chance to have a name to every person,” he said. “We need a ceasefire now to be able to recover those dead.”
- ENDS -
STORY: Gaza death toll: OHCHR - WHO
TRT: 2:18”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 14 MAY 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley
2. Wide shot: speakers at the podium of the press conference
3. SOUNDBITE (English) – Liz Throssell, spokesperson, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR): “We're basically talking about 35,000 people who are dead. And really every life matters, doesn't it? And we know that many and many of those are women and children, and there are thousands missing under the rubble.”
4. Wide lateral shot: Speakers at podium from behind; journalists in the press room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “As the Ministry of Health goes forward and identifies every single body, every single dead, gives names to people to give closure to their family, their friends - that's when these figures get updated and the data get updated. Now 25,000 have been identified, 10,000 are still missing. And if you add and if you look at the calculation of the figures, you will come to the point that you still have about 60 per cent of the casualties being women and children.”
6. Wide lateral shot: Speakers at podium from behind; journalists in the press room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “The fact that we now have 25,000 identified people is a step forward.”
8. Wide shot: Journalists in the press room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “This is a typical and very normal process in any conflict, especially in such a difficult conflict where people have been on the move all the time. They've been displaced five, six, seven times.”
10. Medium lateral shot: Speaker on screen in the press room; journalists in the press room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “Under the collapsed houses, for example, there's a high likelihood that you find rather women and children because they are the ones typically staying at home while the men are out looking for food, looking for business, looking for any supplies for their families.”
12. Medium shot: Journalists in the press room
13. SOUNDBITE (English) - Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “There are no go zones. There are areas where not a single health care worker can go, no ambulance can go. People can't go to retrieve their dead or their family members. So let's keep that in mind. There are still people out there missing. There are still people under the rubble. Once everybody is recovered, you may have a chance to have a name to every person that have precise figures. But one thing is clear here. It's a name to every person. And we need a ceasefire now to be able to recover those dead.”
16. Medium shot: journalists in the press room
17. Medium shot: Journalists, cameraman and people in the gallery of the press room
18. Medium shot: journalists in the press room.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani today urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject a bill that was recently endorsed by parliament allowing trials of civilians in military courts. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces Amendment Bill 2025, which was passed on 20 May and now awaits presidential signature to become law, among others broadens the jurisdiction of military courts, authorising them to try a wide range of offences against civilians.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan at the bi-weekly briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Syria: ‘Staggering’ needs amid insecurity, health care crisis - UN humanitarians
Millions of people in Syria continue to face mortal danger from unexploded munitions, disease and malnutrition and urgent support is required, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , OCHA , WHO
UN life-saving aid allowed to trickle into Gaza as civilian needs mount
Amid calls for more humanitarian trucks to enter the food and medicine-deprived Palestinian enclave of Gaza, UN humanitarians have received permission from Israel for “around 100” more aid trucks to cross into the Strip after only five were let in yesterday, But the scale of relief efforts allowed remains entirely insufficient to meet the urgent needs of people there, humanitarian workers say.
1
1
1
Edited News
A war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty is calling for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITU
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) commemorated 160 years dedicated to connecting the world on Saturday, 17 May in Geneva, Switzerland, during the annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , OCHA
Gazans ‘in terror’ after another night of deadly strikes and siege
Amid reports that Israeli strikes across Gaza into Friday killed at least 64 people, aid teams once again pushed back strongly at allegations that aid is being diverted to Hamas and pleaded for the blockade to end.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Deportations over recent months of large numbers of non-nationals from the United States of America, especially to countries other than those of their origin, raise a number of human rights concerns, the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Over 50 child malnutrition deaths amid aid blockade; entire generation will be ‘permanently affected’ - WHO
In the aid desert of Gaza, malnourished children are dying while survivors can expect a lifetime of dire health problems, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNICEF , UNRWA
Israel’s aid plan will force Gaza families to choose ‘between displacement and death’ – UN humanitarians
Israel’s plan to take control of relief assistance in Gaza risks increasing the suffering of families already exhausted by 18 months of war by putting their lives in danger and inciting more displacement, using aid as “bait”, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
UN Humanitarians reject Israeli plan to take over aid delivery
The reported Israeli proposal to deliver humanitarian supplies through hubs controlled by the military would be a breach of the core principles of neutral, impartial and independent aid delivery, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News , B-roll | OCHA
Gaza: ‘Worst-case scenario’ unfolds as two-month aid blockade deepens suffering - OCHA
Two months into a devastating aid blockade of Gaza food has run out and people are fighting over water amid relentless bombing, the UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said on Friday.
/Includes OCHA footage from Gaza City/