Introduction
A senior United Nations official from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “untold” and “unprecedented” as the crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip continued to escalate for more than 15 years.
Israel’s air strikes are relentlessly successive, leaving behind destroyed homes, making the lives of countless innocent people harder than before, and further deteriorating the already fragile living conditions in Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
This article aims to highlight the crisis and humanitarian situation in Gaza in many respects and to contribute to conveying the accurate and painful picture of the lives of more than 2 million people living in the Gaza Strip.
Injuries and Displacement
At the time of reporting, the statistics had monitored the deaths of more than 2,866 Palestinians in Gaza, including some 772 children and 483 women.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health also reported nearly 12,000 people with severe injuries and fractures caused by the occupying Power’s raging war on Gaza. It is also said that the air strikes destroyed 10,500 housing units and severely damaged 70,000 others, resulting in a mass exodus inside Gaza of more than 1 million people.
Displaced persons have taken refuge in UNRWA’s 83 schools throughout the sector. However, Israeli aircraft have targeted many schools in the attacks, adding to the crisis of finding safe shelter.
Lack of Water, Food and Medical Supplies
Damage to water and sanitation systems and infrastructure facilities has disrupted services for more than 400,000 people. UNRWA anticipates a “severe shortage” of drinking water owing to the complete cut-off of supplies declared by the Israeli occupation. Ongoing conflict also makes food deliveries extremely difficult, with essential supplies such as flour and sugar running out quickly.
The medical sector is under enormous pressure as Israeli strikes have targeted hospitals and medical staff, causing shortages of medicines, medical supplies, and fuel for standby generators. Large numbers of casualties are putting pressure on the exhausted medical staff who threaten to collapse the health system, not to mention the occupation’s threats of bombardment of many hospitals.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health called for the establishment of a “safe corridor to ensure urgent medical assistance” to Gaza’s hospitals, stressing the urgent need to provide medical supplies to treat the wounded.
Electricity Crisis
The Gaza Strip has a power plant that is the only source of electricity, and with fuel blocked, it has ceased functioning. This has plunged the sector into total darkness and electricity outages, prompting hospitals and vital installations to work on generators, with fuel running out and threatened by a major health disaster. Electricity cuts have also affected water supply and general living conditions, adding another challenge to people and increasing hardship for them in the already unbearable humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The Humanitarian Situation in Gaza in International Humanitarian Law
The international community, including human rights organizations, has expressed grave concern about collective punishment and possible violation of international humanitarian law and human rights. Legal experts discuss whether the International Criminal Court can consider this crisis against the people of Gaza a war crime, emphasizing the importance of human rights and why accountability is always absent in Israel.
We Invite You to Contribute to Changing the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza
Gaza’s bitter and catastrophic reality reflects a more significant humanitarian crisis, where the necessities of life have become rare. As brothers in humanity, the international community, charitable organizations, and everyone worldwide must work to provide urgent medical and material assistance.
We at the Hayat Yolu Association, supported by our deep-rooted values and good hearts worldwide through our field teams in the Gaza Strip, provide medical, food, and material assistance to the suffering people of Gaza; they deserve all the best.
The stories of Gazans’ steadfastness amid this catastrophe are reverberating worldwide, calling on everyone to stop with them as much as possible. The least significant contribution that can make a difference to the lives of innocent and vulnerable people is that every material or moral assistance, every prayer, will change reality for the better.
