KARACHI: The Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) in a letter addressed to Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has voiced deep distress over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, resulting in the tragic loss of numerous innocent lives, especially among children and women, urging world leaders to intervene to end the sufferings of innocent Palestinians.
The PPA has expressed profound dismay at the appalling atrocities committed against civilians in Gaza. Disturbing reports of entire families being massacred, children witnessing the horrific demise of their parents, and infants buried under debris have deeply saddened the global community.
Moreover, the extensive blockade in Gaza, posing a threat to the lives of more than 1 million people, including children, has exacerbated into a severe humanitarian crisis that demands immediate attention.
In the strongly worded letter, the PPA President Prof Syed Jamal Raza, Secretary-General Dr Muhammad Khalid Shafi, Prof Tufail Muhammad Khan, Chairperson, and Dr Naeem Zafar, Convener of the Child Right Group within the PPA, regretted that this ongoing conflict is a blot on the world conscience. The PPA stands in solidarity with others across the globe to strongly condemn these brutal acts of violence, the letter said.
The PPA has urged the UN and influential global leaders to employ their diplomatic influence and power to promptly secure a ceasefire in Gaza, saying such an intervention would put an end to Israel's airstrikes in densely populated civilian areas, which disproportionately affect children and women.
Furthermore, the PPA appealed to these leaders to work towards the release of Palestinian children currently detained in Israeli military prisons.
In the midst of the conflict, thousands of wounded individuals are presently receiving treatment in Gaza's hospitals, where scarcity of electricity, water, and essential medical and surgical supplies is critical to end the suffering endured by these innocent victims, stresses the PPA.
It warns that the recent directive by Israel, mandating hundreds of thousands of families in Gaza to evacuate their homes within 24 hours or face potential peril, marks a significant escalation of this crisis.
The PPA implores the international community to act swiftly and decisively to prevent further escalation and to facilitate a resolution to this devastating conflict that has already claimed far too many innocent lives.
