The world has called a ceasefire in the war in the Israel-Gaza area. Today Gaza’s hospitals are “overwhelmed with casualties” and people are facing mounting challenges accessing essential food supplies.
Health facilities no longer have fuel and are running on small amounts, which are expected to run out in the next day or so, the UN says.
The five UN agencies– UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in a joint statement called for a humanitarian ceasefire and safe access to civilians in efforts to save lives and prevent more suffering.
“The world must do more as over 1.6 million people in Gaza are in critical need of humanitarian aid safe and sustained access to water, food, health including sexual and reproductive health Gaza was in need of a desperate humanitarian from hostilities to catastrophic,” the statement reads.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Gaza crisis on 7 October 2023 after Hamas militants launched deadly attacks in Israel, killing scores and abducted nearly 200 people, including health workers and children, from Israel by Hamas and other armed groups on 7 October 2023, the international bodies have urged for the immediate release of all the hostages on humanitarian and health grounds along with urgent access to each of them and delivery of medical care.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has urged USD 69 million to support its response to the rising critical humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and neighboring countries affected by the ongoing hostilities.
Over one million people fled their homes in Gaza since violence erupted, the report said.
