In a recent development, the United Nations (UN) has significantly reduced its estimated number of women and children fatalities in Gaza.
The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) initially reported over 9,500 women and 14,500 children among the casualties on May 6. However, a mere two days later, the figures were revised to less than 5,000 women and 8,000 children.
The UN's reliance on data from Hamas-controlled sources, such as the Gaza Health Ministry, is believed to have contributed to the initial overestimation. Despite the significant discrepancy in the figures, the UN continues to depend on these sources for its data. A UN spokesperson attempted to justify the discrepancy by stating, "In the fog of war, it's difficult to come up with numbers. But we're just going with what we can absolutely confirm, which will always be the low end of what the numbers are.
However, this statement was met with skepticism, given the UN's admission of inaccuracies in their initial figures. Hillel Neuer of UN Watch criticized the UN for not applying the same methods they use in other cases. He argued that when Israel can be blamed, the UN simply echoes Hamas numbers, which are presented as data from the Gaza Ministry of Health or Government Media Office, both of which are controlled by Hamas.
David Adesnik, director of research at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), also raised concerns about the reliability of the figures. He pointed out that some "unidentified" casualties are based on "media reports" without physical evidence, and that an estimated 10,000 missing or under rubble have not been substantiated.
The revised figures have raised questions about their accuracy, given the questionable sourcing. The media and even US President Joe Biden have been using these figures, which have inflated the percentage of women and children compared to male casualties. The figures also do not identify who are "combatants/Hamas." This raises concerns about the Biden administration shaping policy based on unverified numbers.
The revision of the estimated fatalities was met with criticism from the left. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough tweeted about the revision and was attacked by left-leaning individuals. The criticism was not directed at the reduction in the estimated number of women and children killed, but rather at those questioning the accuracy of the figures, as it contradicts their narrative.
In conclusion, the UN's significant revision of the estimated number of women and children fatalities in Gaza has raised serious questions about the reliability of their sources and the accuracy of their data. This development underscores the importance of verifying information before it is used to shape policy or public opinion.
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