United Nations, July 23
UN humanitarians warned about the situation in Gaza, describing it as "the collapse of the last lifelines keeping people alive."
They reported that amid the continuing hostilities, UN aid depots were destroyed, relief workers' residences and the hungry seeking food were fired on, and some starving people were reportedly collapsing in the streets, Xinhua news agency reported.
Local health authorities reported that in just the past 24 hours, more than a dozen children and adults died from hunger. Hospitals have received people with severe exhaustion caused by a lack of food, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
"This is on top of continued reports of people being shot, killed or injured while simply trying to find food -- food that is only being allowed into Gaza in quantities that are far too small," OCHA said.
The office said local authorities report that hospitals are overwhelmed, and some facilities reported a shortage of intravenous fluids. Due to a lack of fuel, the Nasser Medical Complex and the oxygen unit supplying hospitals in southern Gaza are at risk of shutting down.
UN facilities in Deir al-Balah were struck even though their locations were shared with relevant parties to the conflict, said the humanitarians.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said the agency's operations were compromised by the destruction of a warehouse, located within the evacuation zone, and an attack on a facility sheltering staff and their families.
The attack fits a broader pattern of systematic destruction of health facilities, said the WHO, and in a statement, the agency strongly condemned the attack and demanded continuous protection of its staff and the immediate release of the detained staff member.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), reported that the UNOPS premises in Deir al-Balah were also hit, causing structural damage, cutting off power from both their generator and solar panels, and leaving the site with no running water. He said it is the same location that was hit by tank fire in March, which killed a UNOPS staffer.
OCHA said the teams tracking population movements were affected and unable to report on the families displaced from Deir al-Balah. Some have been newly displaced, while others came under heavy bombardment and faced communication blackouts due to cable damage.
According to the office, 88 per cent of Gaza is either subject to displacement orders or located within Israeli militarized zones. The remaining 12 per cent is already overcrowded and underserved.
The UN hub for humanitarian operations remains in Deir al-Balah, with staff spread across dozens of premises, all of which have shared coordinates with relevant parties to the conflict, said OCHA.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While the situation is tragic, we must remember India has its own challenges with poverty and hunger. Our government is right to focus on domestic issues first. Charity begins at home, as they say.
The targeting of UN facilities is unacceptable. India has always stood for peaceful resolutions - we should use our position in global forums to push for ceasefire and humanitarian corridors. Remember how we helped during the Yemen crisis?
As someone who has worked with Indian NGOs during disasters, I know how crucial medical supplies are. The hospital situation described here is horrifying. Maybe Indian pharma companies could help with emergency medicine donations?
The report says 88% of Gaza is under displacement orders - that's almost everyone! This reminds me of partition stories my grandparents told. No civilian should have to live like this in 2024. The world needs to wake up.
While I sympathize with the suffering, I wish our media would cover India's own malnutrition problems with the same urgency. We have starving children in tribal areas too that need attention.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.