On Thursday, Russia sharply criticized UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell for refusing to brief the UN Security Council on the situation of children in Gaza, accusing her of prioritizing Ukrainian children. Russia’s UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said Russell had provided a briefing on Ukrainian children in December but ignored the plight of Gaza’s children, tens of thousands of whom were killed during the recent war.

A UNICEF spokesperson explained that Russell was attending the World Economic Forum in Davos and could not adjust her schedule but offered for the organization’s emergency director to speak on her behalf.

The spokesperson also noted that Russell had previously briefed the Council on Gaza’s children and reiterated the organization’s focus on their humanitarian needs.

Russia accused the United States of using its veto to protect Israel, contributing to the suffering of Gaza’s children. Nebenzia also criticized Washington for ignoring Russia’s request to hold a meeting on Gaza’s children during the war.

Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea rejected these accusations, calling them unacceptable.

In his briefing to the Council, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, highlighting the killing, starvation, and maiming of children, as well as the psychological trauma they face. He added that over 17,000 children had lost their families during the conflict.

With the ceasefire now in effect, the UN is working to scale up humanitarian aid to Gaza to alleviate the impact of the war, especially on children, who remain the most vulnerable victims of the ongoing conflict.