Int'l community seems to have turned its back on Gaza: UNRWA chief
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The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says UNRWA personnel in Gaza warns that “for the first time ever people are hungry.”
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A Palestinian boy walks by buildings destroyed in the Israeli bombardment on al-Zahra on the outskirts of Gaza City on October 20, 2023 (AP)
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees is expressing concern that essential public services in blockaded Gaza are deteriorating rapidly, leading to potential food shortages for the war-affected population in the region.
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini, addressing journalists in occupied al-Quds, voiced his disapproval of the international community's apparent abandonment of Gaza.
The international community “seems to have turned its back on Gaza," he said.
"People in Gaza are dying; they are not only dying from bombs and strikes: soon many more will die from the consequences of (the) siege imposed on the Gaza Strip," said Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
Lazzarini further mentioned that there is a severe shortage of fuel in Gaza, with a daily requirement of approximately 160,000 liters (or 42,200 gallons) to support hospitals and bakeries. On Tuesday, the agency had issued a prior warning that it would deplete its fuel supply by Wednesday evening.
"Basic services are crumbling, medicine is running out, food and water are running out, the streets of Gaza have started overflowing with sewage."
UNRWA personnel in Gaza are expressing that their activities are deteriorating, and “for the first time ever, they report that now people are hungry,” according to Lazzarini.
“Civil order is collapsing,” he added.
When questioned about the duration of the remaining supplies, Lazzarini stated that they would endure “certainly no more than a few days.” Additionally, Lazzarini mentioned that 57 agency employees in Gaza were killed due to the brutal Israel aggression so far.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to this human tragedy,” he concluded.
Concurrently, the World Food Program issued a statement on Friday, cautioning that the already dire situation for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza may deteriorate further due to diminishing fuel supplies, which pose a threat to food and humanitarian activities.
Children in #Gaza have endured heartbreaking trauma, marked by destruction, relentless hostilities, displacement & severe shortages of essential necessities such as food & water.
— UNICEF Palestine (@UNICEFpalestine) October 27, 2023
We call for an immediate ceasefire & for sustained & unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance. pic.twitter.com/XwDD9sipeB
“The catastrophic conditions facing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza risk getting worse still,” the statement read.
Samer Abdeljaber, the UN agency's representative for the Palestinian territories, mentioned that out of the bakeries contracted with the WFP in Gaza, only two currently possess sufficient fuel to produce bread, and there's a possibility that none of them will have fuel left by tomorrow.
Almost half of the martyrs in the Israeli aggression on #Gaza are children
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 27, 2023
These are the targets the IOF claims it's striking, innocent children stolen of every single right they should enjoy.
The Israeli occupation is criminal and genocidal and the proof is out there, footage… pic.twitter.com/LrpjiMHnrb
It is worth noting that the total number of martyrs has now exceeded 7,300, including 481 who were martyred in the past 24 hours only.
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