Russia accuses UNICEF of caring more about Ukraine children than Palestine children in Gaza

Moscow reprimanded the Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for refusing to brief the Security Council on children in the Gaza Strip in a meeting requested by Russia.

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzya stated on Thursday that UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell had briefed the Security Council “at the drop of a hat” in December on children in Ukraine when the Council was under the US presidency.

Nebenzya told the Council: “The refusal of UNICEF’s head to brief the Security Council about the horrific tragedy linked to the deaths of tens of thousands of children in Gaza is a flagrant step which deserves our most serious censure.”

He accused the organisation’s director, who is a US citizen, of not providing a “weighty argument for her refusal” to brief on Gaza children.

“So, it would appear that for UNICEF, children in Gaza are less important than children in Ukraine,” Nebenzya criticised.

He also accused Washington of some responsibility for the deaths of children in Gaza after the US used its veto power to shield Israel during the war. Nebenzya explained that the US ignored Russian calls for a meeting on Gazan children in December.

UNICEF justified Russell’s reluctance to give the briefing by her being busy, with a UNICEF spokesperson stating that she is at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which had a focus on addressing humanitarian crises and was unable to adjust her schedule to give a briefing to the Security Council.

“Ms Russell had offered the Director of Emergencies to deliver her statement on her behalf,” the UNICEF spokesperson said, noting: “The UNICEF Executive Director has briefed the Security Council several times on the situation of children in Gaza and appreciates the Council’s focus on children impacted by war.”

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