Children dying of starvation in Gaza: Palestinian envoy

Thousands of children are dying of starvation in the Gaza Strip, said Riyad Mansour, permanent observer of Palestine to the United Nations, on Wednesday, breaking down in tears as he described the desperate conditions facing children in the war-torn enclave.

Speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council, Mansour said that since the breakdown of the ceasefire in March, more than 1,300 children have died in Gaza, with over 4,000 others injured.

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Children dying of starvation in Gaza: Palestinian envoy

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Children dying of starvation in Gaza: Palestinian envoy

"Thousands of children are dying of starvation. The images of mothers embracing their motionless bodies, caressing their hair, talking to them, apologizing to them. It is unbearable! How could that happen?" said Mansour.

Mansour's remarks were echoed by Feroze Sidhwa, an American trauma surgeon who has worked extensively in Gaza.

He described the dire state of the healthcare system, where many surgeries are carried out in hospitals lacking sterile conditions, electricity, and even anesthesia.

According to Sidhwa, many children are not dying from the severity of their injuries, but due to the lack of blood, antibiotics, and basic medical supplies.

Sidhwa also expressed deep concern over the psychological trauma suffered by many children in Gaza, noting that some no longer want to live.

"According to the war child alliance, nearly half of Gaza's children are suicidal. They ask, why didn't I die with my sister, my mother, my father, not out of extremism, but out of unbearable grief. I wonder if any member of this council has ever met a five-year-old child who no longer wants to live. Let alone imagine the society in which so many young children feel this way," he said.

The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 20 pips to 7.0108 against the U.S. dollar Monday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.

In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day.

The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.