Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, visited Gaza this week in a show of solidarity with the agency’s staff, who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment and the death of family members. She got a rough reception.
Local staff faulted the agency’s leadership, during a tense private meeting, for mounting what they see as a tepid public response to an unprecedented military assault on Gaza’s youth, and for failing to call out Israel for killing more than 11,000 Palestinians, including more than 4,500 children, in Gaza, according to figures compiled by the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Devex was not able to independently verify the figures.
“What’s happening in Gaza is a war-crime, and a shameful stain on the forehead of humanity, the United Nations, and most of all UNICEF who claims to defend the child rights,” according to a copy of the talking points a staff member read to Russell. “This is textbook genocide and ethnic cleansing crime of an entire nation.”
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
