The Current UNICEF's James Elder on the children of Gaza
Oct 21, 2025
In this insightful discussion, James Elder, UNICEF's global spokesperson and a key witness to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, shares his firsthand experiences from multiple missions. He reveals heartbreaking stories of grieving parents and the terrible toll on children amidst the conflict. James highlights the critical role of ceasefires for delivering aid and emphasizes the urgent need for psychological support for traumatized families. He calls for increased international pressure to uphold humanitarian laws and ensure aid reaches those in desperate need.
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Heartbreaking Family Stories
- James Elder recounts a woman who spent nine years trying to conceive and then lost her only child and husband in the conflict.
- He also describes another mother watching her little boy die because he was denied medical evacuation.
Make Aid Predictable And Fast
- Do ensure humanitarian aid is predictable, fast, and uses multiple entry corridors into Gaza.
- James Elder stresses speed and several entry points to address famine and urgent needs.
Blockade As Political Choice
- Israel controls the entry of essential supplies, making the famine effectively man-made by blockade choices.
- Elder frames lack of incubators, medicines and tents as political decisions, not logistics.