The United Nations has raised concerns over a worsening humanitarian crisis in Palestine after thousands of civilians battle daily for survival following prolonged conflict and aid blockade resulting in severe shortages of essential supplies to the war-torn country.
The international body disclosed that between 65,000 and 75,000 Palestinians in the northern Gaza region were currently facing dire conditions of food and water shortages as well as unavailable electricity, and healthcare services.
The U.N. through its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) alleged that Israel’s siege on key Palestine areas including Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabaliya has largely denied Palestinians access to vital aid supplies amid the ongoing war between both nations.
Apart from the growing food crisis, OCHA also revealed that only four U.N.-supported bakeries are operating across the Gaza Strip, and all are situated in Gaza City, which has severely limited access to bread and other essential food supplies for residents in other areas.
The senior U.N. humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, who confirmed this development while briefing the U.N. Security Council behind closed doors yesterday said that civilians trying to survive in Gaza face an “utterly devastating situation.
She pointed to the breakdown in law and order and looting that has exacerbated a very dire situation and left the U.N. and many aid organizations unable to deliver food and other humanitarian essentials to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in need.
Kaag said she and other U.N. officials keep repeatedly asking Israel for access for convoys to north Gaza and elsewhere, to allow in commercial goods, to reopen the Rafah crossing from Egypt in the south, and to approve dual-use items.
According to Kaag, the U.N. has established the logistics for a humanitarian operation across Gaza, but there is no substitute for the political will necessary to make it effective.
“Member states possess it,” she said, emphasizing the need for Security Council members and the broader international community to advocate for the political support required to address Gaza’s escalating crisis.
“Without this vital political backing, humanitarian efforts will struggle to alleviate the suffering of those most affected by the ongoing conflict” Kaag warned.
