UN says total number of deaths in Gaza remains unchanged after controversy over revised data

[Uncle Joe]

A smoke plume from an explosion in Gaza as seen from a position along Israel's southern border with the Palestinian enclave on May 13, 2024. Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images

(CNN) - The United Nations on Monday clarified that the overall number of fatalities in Gaza tallied by the Ministry of Health in Gaza remains unchanged, at more than 35,000,since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas on October 7.

The clarification comes after the UN humanitarian agency OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) published a report on May 8 with revised data regarding the number of Palestinian casualties in the war. The UN agency in its report reduced the number of women and children believed to have been killed in the war by nearly half.

The number was reduced because the UN says it is now relying on the number of deceased women and children whose names and other identifying details have been fully documented, rather than the total number of women and children killed. The ministry says bodies that arrive at hospitals get counted in the overall death count.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told a daily briefing at the UN that the health ministry in Gaza recently published two separate death tolls – an overall death toll and a total number of identified fatalities. In the UN report, only the total number of fatalities whose identities (such as name and date of birth) have been documented was published, leading to confusion.

(snip)

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/13/middleeast/death-toll-gaza-fatalities-un-intl-latam/index.html

[Think. Again.]

1. Thank you for posting this honestly.

[enid602]

3. Posts

That posting the other day with the unsubstantiated claims caused so many to come out of their bunkers and simultaneously and immediately post their ‘told you so’ posts.

[LiberaBlueDem]

5. It was very embarrasing

Their "I told you so" posts made me feel awful.

They should all apologize, publicly and repent

[enid602]

9. Apologize

They should not have to apologize. I feel for them; I too want nothing more than for Israel to be the good guys.

[obamanut2012]

2. k and r

[Rob H.]

4. K & R nt

[cliffside]

6. Fortunately there are some who read beyond the headlines ...

Last edited Mon May 13, 2024, 09:49 PM - Edit history (1)

https://democraticunderground.com/100218943066

And the reporting system in Gaza has basically collapsed ...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18943415

[Uncle Joe]

7. Well that's good to hear, from the article on one of your links beyond the headline

(snip)

WHAT IS THE TRACK RECORD FROM PAST WARS?

Throughout four wars and numerous bloody skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, U.N. agencies have cited the Health Ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.

In the aftermath of war, the U.N. humanitarian office has published final death tolls based on its own research into medical records.

In all cases the U.N.'s counts have largely been consistent with the Gaza Health Ministry’s, with small discrepancies.

— 2008 war: The ministry reported 1,440 Palestinians killed; the U.N. reported 1,385.

— 2014 war: The ministry reported 2,310 Palestinians killed; the U.N. reported 2,251.

— 2021 war: The ministry reported 260 Palestinians killed; the U.N. reported 256.

While Israel and the Palestinians disagree over the numbers of militants versus civilians killed in past wars, Israel’s accounts of Palestinian casualties have come close to the Gaza ministry’s. For instance, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the 2014 war killed 2,125 Palestinians — just a bit lower than the ministry’s toll.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has killed “thousands” of militants in the current war, without offering evidence or precise numbers.

(snip)

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033

Having said that, I don't expect 100% mortality reporting efficiency from a region bombed to the Stone Age, and thousands of people buried under the rubble with virtually every hospital and all it's infrastructure destroyed.

[cliffside]

8. Interesting that numbers from past wars did not deviate very much, thanks for digging :) nt