Cairo, December 3 (RHC)-- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says Gaza now has “the highest number of children amputees per capita anywhere in the world.”

In remarks read out on his behalf at a Cairo conference aimed at increasing humanitarian aid, Guterres said many Gaza children were “losing limbs and undergoing surgeries without even anesthesia.”

The UN chief further highlighted the devastating toll of Israel’s campaign of genocide and the urgent need for international action.  The secretary-general described Gaza’s situation as “appalling and apocalyptic.”

He further warned the conditions faced by the Palestinians in Gaza may amount to the “gravest international crimes.”  “Malnutrition is rampant... Famine is imminent. Meanwhile, the health system has collapsed.”

Guterres also criticized the severe restrictions on aid delivery, calling the current levels “grossly insufficient.”  International aid organizations have repeatedly raised the alarm over the deteriorating conditions in Gaza.  They have said aid shipments reaching Gaza now at their lowest since the start of the Israeli aggression.

The UN chief said the blockade of aid into Gaza "is not a crisis of logistics" but rather "a crisis of political will and of respect for fundamental principles of international humanitarian law."

According to UNRWA's count, only 65 aid trucks per day had been able to enter Gaza this past month, compared to a pre-war average of 500.  UNRWA said all the attempts it made to deliver aid into northern Gaza had either been "denied" or "impeded" between October 6 and November 25.

Guterres said UNRWA is an "irreplaceable lifeline for millions of Palestinians."  "If UNRWA is forced to close, the responsibility of replacing its vital services...would rest with Israel."

[ SOURCE:  PRESS TV ]