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World ignores Gaza

The increasingly dire situation in Gaza - especially for children - is one of the world's least reported humanitarian emergencies. The territory is mired in a deepening crisis as a result of three wars since 2007, a decade-long Israeli-led blockade, and a budget crisis fueled by intra-Palestinian hostilities and aid cuts. Two years ago, the United Nations described conditions for the two million people inhabiting the tiny coastal strip as increasingly "unlivable." And the situation has deteriorated since then.
The territory's economy is in free fall. More than 400,000 children now live below the poverty line. The unemployment rate is among the highest in the world, with two-thirds of young people jobless.
Basic services are disintegrating as fast as the economy. The health-care system is collapsing, with providers lacking basic equipment and essential medicines, including antibiotics. Clean piped water is a distant memory. Today, impoverished Gazans queue to buy expensive and often unsafe trucked water. Does the the world really care about Gaza?
The answer is 'no'.
-Jane Epston, Dubai