Gaza situation 'beyond catastrophic' amid new massacres, rising toll
4 Min Read
"Beyond catastrophic" is the term many officials and staffers, be they medical or political, are using to describe the situation in Gaza.
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Palestinians collect belongings from their homes destroyed by the Israeli offensive on Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli occupation committed 9 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, killing 92 and injuring 130 in 24 hours only, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced.
This brings the total number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7 to 31,645, in addition to 73,676 injuries, it added.
It is noteworthy that the numbers only account for martyrs officially registered with the Ministry, and there may be a significant number of martyrs whose bodies have not yet been accounted for or have not reached hospitals, especially since many victims remain under the rubble, presumed dead, as the IOF deliberately prevent ambulances and civil defense crews from reaching them.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported on Sunday at dawn that a number of Palestinians were martyred and others were injured as a result of an Israeli bombing on a house in the Bishara neighborhood, in the city of Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, marking just one of the aforementioned massacres.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Jagan Chapagain emphasized on March 16 that Palestinians in Gaza are facing an “unprecedented level of indignity, misery, and suffering."
Chapagain, in a post on X, labeled the current humanitarian situation in Gaza as “beyond catastrophic".
“The healthcare situation is on the brink of collapse with hospitals facing desperate conditions,” he stressed.
Chapagain added that “an escalating food crisis exacerbates an already dire situation,” as amid the start of Ramadan, "countless people have nothing to break their fast with."
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is beyond catastrophic.
— Jagan Chapagain (@jagan_chapagain) March 16, 2024
Civilians are still facing an unprecedented level of indignity, misery, and suffering.
The healthcare situation is on the brink of collapse with hospitals facing desperate conditions.
An escalating food crisis…
Doctors Without Borders
“The current situation in Gaza is catastrophic and words can’t describe it,” MSF posted on X yesterday, citing Loay Harb, one of four staff members still working in northern Gaza.
Harb stressed that Gaza has no electricity, water, flour, or internet connection, which has created instability for Palestinians.
“We are going through very difficult times due to the siege, poverty, and starvation,” he added.
Nurse Harb stressed that the medical situation of patients is very complex and beds and spaces are scarce.
He further added that the only means available for treating patients with severe burns and wounds at the clinic he works at is basic healthcare.
“The current situation in Gaza is catastrophic and words can’t describe it.”
— MSF International (@MSF) March 16, 2024
In rare contact with one of our staff members in northern #Gaza, MSF nurse Loay Harb describes the situation there, including the lack of food and the medical support he provides where he can. pic.twitter.com/7QPldoFavu
UNFPA also labeled the situation in Gaza as 'beyond catastrophic'
Using the same expression as IFRC to describe the dire situation in Gaza, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said it is “beyond catastrophic".
UNFPA's Representative for Palestine, Dominic Allen, spoke in a virtual briefing addressing his most recent visit to Gaza, "What we see in Gaza is that it's a nightmare, which is much more than a humanitarian crisis. It is a crisis of humanity, and the situation is beyond catastrophic."
Allen stressed that, in addition to the on-ground violence, disinformation is also a major hurdle.
"Having left Gaza this week, I can assure you that it's worse than I can describe or that the pictures can show or that you can imagine," he emphasized.

Allen added that it is impossible to describe the scenes in Gaza, stressing that people are hungry and in "very difficult" circumstances, as he is severely fearful and worried for 1 million women and girls.
As he further elaborated on the situation in the north of Gaza mainly, where Palestinians are grappling with death, he said, "Fear is just everywhere in Gaza, but especially for these pregnant women," adding that stillbirths have become more frequent.
Read next: Famine in Gaza causing women to give birth to stillborn babies
