Deaths are occurring in Gaza due to severe shortages of essential goods and facilities.
New Delhi:
The first limited shipment of life-saving supplies in 20 trucks from the United Nations and the Egyptian Red Crescent entered Gaza on Saturday after passing through the Rafah crossing. The item will provide life support to some of the thousands of citizens who are in immediate need, mostly women and children. They are deprived of essential things like water, food, medicine, fuel.
UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and WHO said in a joint statement that this is only a small beginning and much more relief is needed. More than 1.6 million people in Gaza are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Children, pregnant women and the elderly are most vulnerable. Almost half of Gaza’s population is children.
Due to two weeks of continuous bombardment in Gaza, many public infrastructures, including shelters and health facilities, have been damaged or destroyed. Death rates are rising due to epidemic outbreaks and lack of health care capacity.
These international organizations have said that hospitals are full of wounded and dead. Citizens are facing challenges in getting essential food items. Hospitals are now out of fuel and run on less locally sourced fuel. The remaining fuel is likely to be exhausted in the next day or two. The water supply capacity is only five percent of the normal level. Vulnerable people are most at risk and child mortality rates are alarming. They are being deprived of their right to security, food, water and health care.
People cannot cook or buy food safely
Before the current conflict, about one-third of the Palestinian population in Gaza was affected by food insecurity. Today, shops are almost out of stock and bakeries are closing down. Thousands of people have been displaced and are unable to cook or buy food safely.
“We call for immediate unrestricted humanitarian access to all of Gaza, as well as a humanitarian ceasefire, to allow humanitarian workers to reach civilians in need, save lives and prevent further humanitarian suffering,” the organizations said. Massive and sustained humanitarian assistance should be provided.
Call for protection for health care
We call for secure and sustainable supplies of water, food, health (including sexual and reproductive health) and fuel, the organizations said. This is required for essential services. We call for the protection of all civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including health care facilities.
We call for the protection of humanitarian workers in Gaza who risk their lives in the service of others, the organizations said. And we call on all parties to have the utmost respect for international humanitarian law.