Gaza now has “the highest number of children amputees per capita anywhere in the world”, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said.
Many have been “losing limbs and undergoing surgeries without even anaesthesia”, he added.
Mr Guterres made the remarks which were read out on his behalf at a Cairo conference aimed at increasing humanitarian aid.
The UN chief urged the international community to “build a foundation for sustainable peace in Gaza and across the Middle East”.
He added that the situation in war-torn Gaza was “appalling and apocalyptic”.
He further warned that conditions faced by Palestinians in the territory may amount to the “gravest international crimes”.
According to Save the Children, more than 10 children per day, on average, lost one or both of their legs in Gaza between October 2023 and January 2024.
The World Health Organization warned that many operations on children were done without anaesthetic.
It added that with the healthcare system in Gaza crippled by the conflict, and there were major shortages of nurses and doctors and nurses, and medical supplies like anaesthesia and antibiotics.
In his remarks, Mr Guterres highlighted the devastating toll of the conflict and the urgent need for international action.
“Malnutrition is rampant... Famine is imminent. Meanwhile, the health system has collapsed,” he said.
He also criticised the severe restrictions on aid delivery, calling the current levels “grossly insufficient”.
Mr Guterres said the blockade of aid to Gaza “is not a crisis of logistics” but rather “a crisis of political will and of respect for fundamental principles of international humanitarian law”.
UNRWA said all the attempts it made to deliver aid into northern Gaza had either been “denied” or “impeded” between October 6 and November 25.
Mr Guterres added that UNRWA was an “irreplaceable lifeline for millions of Palestinians”.
“If UNRWA is forced to close, the responsibility of replacing its vital services...would rest with Israel,” he said.