In a statement issued on Friday, OCHA said the ongoing crisis has reached critical levels, warning that “every day brings more preventable deaths, displacement and desperation.” Israeli authorities have issued yet another displacement order, this time affecting parts of North Gaza, adding to the chaos faced by civilians.
OCHA says it is receiving increasingly disturbing reports of malnourished children and adults arriving at hospitals that lack the capacity and resources to treat them.
The humanitarian situation has been worsened by a deepening fuel crisis. Although Israel allowed the resumption of limited fuel imports on 9 July, the UN says the quantities remain far below what is needed. Just over 600 000 litres of diesel and 35 000 litres of benzene have entered Gaza via Kerem Shalom, but OCHA warns this is insufficient to meet even the most urgent needs.
“This is significantly less than what we were previously able to extract from dwindling internal reserves, which have now been fully depleted,” the agency said.
Solid waste collection has ground to a halt, and several water wells have shut down, particularly in Deir Al-Balah. Critical health services, such as dialysis, have either been reduced or completely shut down.
“Others could go on for a few more days before they, too, will have to go dark,” OCHA warned.
With each passing day, the population has access to less clean water, healthcare and sanitation, while sewage increasingly floods ground floors.
Restrictions on humanitarian movement remain a significant challenge. Of 13 coordination attempts made with Israeli authorities on Thursday, only seven were facilitated. Aid workers were able to retrieve limited fuel, relocate generators, and deliver some medical and hygiene supplies.
The remaining six operations were either denied outright or approved but later blocked on the grounds.
OCHA stressed that to maintain essential humanitarian services, hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel are needed daily, and greater access for aid workers must be guaranteed.
--UN/ChannelAfrica--
