The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is rapidly worsening due to renewed fighting, with the World Health Organization urging protection for civilians. Tens of thousands are seeking safety in southern Gaza, leading to further casualties and damage to hospitals. Despite international pressure, Israeli forces have intensified their presence in the south, resulting in ongoing airstrikes and civilian casualties.
The United Nations reports some of the heaviest shelling, with the Gaza health ministry confirming significant casualties. Doctors Without Borders highlights the strain on medical facilities, emphasizing the critical situation in hospitals like Al-Aqsa and Nasser. Israeli airstrikes have also targeted hospitals in northern Gaza, causing additional casualties.
Following the conclusion of a seven-day cease-fire last Friday, Israel has issued evacuation notices to residents in southern Gaza, affecting around 470,000 people, according to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.). The movement of Gazans fleeing from the middle area to the south has strained already overcrowded and under-resourced health facilities, leading to a significant increase in infectious diseases. The United Nations reports that approximately 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.2 million people have been displaced by the ongoing conflict.
Israel has designated “safe zones” for Gazans to move to, but many cannot access these locations due to a lack of electricity, poor internet, and nonexistent cellphone service. U.N. officials argue that nowhere in Gaza is truly safe, and the designated areas lack essential resources for survival as required by international law. James Elder, a spokesperson for the U.N.’s children’s agency, highlights the dire conditions in these so-called safe zones, emphasizing the absence of water, facilities, shelter from the elements, and sanitation, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
Dr. Peeperkorn of the W.H.O. reveals an emergency evacuation of medical supplies from two warehouses in Khan Younis, undertaken on the advisement of Israeli forces to prevent destruction in hostilities and ensure continued medicine supply to hospitals. While Israel denies instructing the W.H.O. to evacuate, Dr. Peeperkorn explains that the operation was carried out in response to warnings from Israeli forces about the warehouses being in likely combat zones.
Dr. Peeperkorn underscores the W.H.O.’s top priority—to deliver essential medical supplies into Gaza and distribute them to support the health system, which has been severely impacted after two months of conflict. Without reinforcing the health system, there is a growing risk of a humanitarian disaster.
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