Gaza: Preventing aid deprives people of ways to survive, amid the spread of diseases and the exacerbation of malnutrition

In his last update today, Wednesday, the office warned that this ban deprives people of ways to survive and undermine all aspects of civil life.

He stated that a team of its affiliated yesterday, Tuesday, was a rating in two sites in the Al -Mawsi area in Khan Yunis, who were exposed to Israeli bombing on Sunday and Monday, killing eight people and wounding more than 12 others, most of them children, including a four -year -old child, who lost his legs. The team said that approximately 20 families lost their shelter and property in these two sites.

The office said that his team visited two other sites in the Al -Mawsi area, hosting nearly 2,500 displaced people, including many who fled after the recent displacement orders in Al -Qarara in Khan Yunis.

He added that the team noted a severe shortage of water, food and shelter, as well as the lack of civilian people with mental health.

The office explained that both the two societies, who were visited, are totally dependent on daily hot meals of societal kitchens, which are not sufficient, and food is often running out of these kitchens. He added that children suffer from hunger, with reports of injuries while distributing food due to overcrowding, and competing to obtain the available food.

The OCHA office said that the distribution of canned food, cash assistance, water storage, emergency health support, and temporary learning spaces are all urgent. He added that the presence of injured civilians, as well as persons with disabilities and those with chronic diseases, highlights the fragility of the situation of people in these sites.

Malnutrition and food scarcity

The Humanitarian Coordination Office warned that food supplies across Gaza is witnessing a serious decrease, as malnutrition exacerbated quickly.

He added that last week, one of the United Nations partners examined 1,300 children in northern Gaza and identified more than 80 cases of severe malnutrition, an increase of two weakening than previous weeks.

He said that the feeding partners indicated that there is a severe shortage of supplies due to the prevention of aid and the challenges of transporting basic materials to the Gaza Strip and inside, adding that access to the main storage facilities, such as the UNICEF warehouse in Rafah, is still strongly restricted.

On a positive level, he stated that a truck carrying food aid succeeded two days ago to move from north of Gaza to its south. This shipment can support approximately 470 children for one month, and will be decisive in preventing exacerbation of their current conditions.

The office called on the influential member states to pressure for an immediate end to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza, and to ensure the possibility of distributing supplies, once they are allowed to enter, anywhere people need with full respect for the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, integrity and independence, and do everything in their power to pressure to release the hostages.

Intensive cleaning campaign

In turn, an emergency official at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Louise Wateridge, warned against the spread of diseases and the lack of sufficient drugs in the Gaza Strip after more than fifty days have passed since the Israeli authorities prevented the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

In a statement to the United Nations news, Wateridge said that the agency’s teams are roaming the Al -Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, south of Gaza, to carry out an intense cleaning campaign, adding: “The garbage went out of control. Sewerage, rodents, pests, rats, and mice. All of these animals wander between the buildings that people harbor.”.

Wateridge reported that UNRWA has doctors, nurses and health care workers involved in that campaign, and they are trying to treat children with skin infections, rash and diseases caused by these unhealthy living conditions.

She warned that the supplies are about to exist, including pesticides, as only a stock remains enough for only ten days. “And when that happens, they will not be able to provide any kind of prevention.”.

Misery and lengthy suffering

The UN official touched on the suffering of children and families from malnutrition, adding: “They have suffered from 18 months from the lack of continuous access to any type of nutrient, and any kind of healthy food, and all this has a great impact on their health.”.

Wateridge said: “Every night I speak with my colleagues, they tell me how the bombing intensifies, and it increases fierce. And between this bombing, people live in this misery and lengthy suffering, as they are deprived of all their basic needs, including providing any safe place for them and their children, even if this is (to protect them) from the spread of diseases and wastewater that takes place next to their tents and their dead.”.

She emphasized that the UNRWA teams are working hard and continues to provide services and support societies daily. But she warned that this is very few compared to what they could do during the ceasefire when they had access, and when they had supplies.