Gaza: Worrying alerts from United Nations staff in the Gaza Strip who have been fainting from hunger and exhaustion over the past 48 hours have increased fears for peoples survival in the devastated enclave, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
According to United Nations, Juliette Touma, Director of Communications with the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, reported that doctors, nurses, journalists, and humanitarian workers, including UNRWA staff, are fainting from hunger and exhaustion while performing their duties. Speaking from Amman, she emphasized that searching for food has become as perilous as the ongoing bombardments.
The foundations hubs, supported by the US and Israeli authorities, started operating in southern Gaza on May 27, bypassing the UN and other established non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Juliette Touma criticized the so-called GHF distribution scheme, describing it as a dangerous death-trap. She claims that snipers are randomly firing on crowds, essentially granting a license to kill.
Quoting a statement by UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini, Ms. Touma labeled the scheme a massive hunt of people conducted with impunity. She stressed that humanitarian assistance should not be handled by mercenaries and highlighted the UN and its partners' capability to provide safe and dignified aid effectively, as demonstrated during previous ceasefires.
The situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly, with prices for basic commodities soaring by around 4,000 percent. Many residents, displaced multiple times and without income, find themselves deprived of essentials, paying exorbitant prices for basic goods like flour and lentils.
On Monday, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) indicated that a quarter of Gaza's population is facing famine-like conditions, with almost 100,000 women and children suffering from severe acute malnutrition requiring urgent treatment. Everyday items like diapers have become scarce and costly, forcing parents to resort to using plastic bags as a makeshift solution.
Ms. Touma highlighted the urgent need for a ceasefire to facilitate the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza under UN management, including UNRWA. The agency has thousands of trucks loaded with essential supplies ready to enter Gaza, pending authorization.
WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarevic condemned recent attacks on WHO facilities in Deir Al-Balah, which have endangered staff and their families, forcing evacuations amid active conflict. He described mistreatment of those sheltering there, including interrogations and detentions, calling for the release of a detained WHO employee.
The ongoing conflict has severely impacted Gaza's health system. According to Gaza's health authorities, approximately 1,500 health workers have been killed since the war began in October 2023, with 94 percent of health facilities damaged and half of the hospitals non-functional.
Jašarevic also highlighted the challenges faced by humanitarian operations due to visa denials by Israeli authorities for emergency medical teams. UNRWA's Ms. Touma noted the long-standing restrictions on the agency's Commissioner-General, who has been denied access to Gaza and the occupied West Bank, underscoring the need for international media access to report on the ground.
The UN continues to stress the collapse of critical lifelines in Gaza, with reports of deaths from hunger and severe exhaustion. The situation is exacerbated by threats to civilians seeking food and the limited quantities of aid allowed into the region.
