Gaza: the humanitarian situation on the verge of chaos
At the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Gaza Strip suffers from a disastrous humanitarian situation. Since Israel launched a “total siege” in response to the Hamas attack, the region has been plunged into chaos. International organizations and NGOs are mobilizing to help residents, but the situation remains critical.
Urgent needs are being felt in Gaza’s hospitals, which are under-equipped and under-resourced. Humanitarians, the UN and the WHO are calling for humanitarian corridors to deliver aid, but also to evacuate civilians who wish to flee the bombings. Hospitals are facing shortages of medicines, medical equipment and electricity, putting patients’ lives at risk.
The UN has launched an emergency appeal for $294 million in donations to meet the needs of vulnerable residents of Gaza and the West Bank. Humanitarian organizations no longer have the resources necessary to deal with this humanitarian crisis. The Gaza Strip’s only power plant is running out of fuel, depriving residents of electricity and drinking water.
The consequences of this situation are dramatic. Gaza residents find themselves without access to medical care, with hospitals at risk of turning into morgues due to lack of electricity. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable, with 50,000 of them without access to care. Food and drinking water are in short supply, forcing some residents to drink contaminated seawater.
Faced with this imminent humanitarian catastrophe, the WHO is calling for the creation of humanitarian corridors to deliver medical and food aid to Gaza. Governments around the world are urged to intervene quickly and support humanitarian organizations in their efforts to address this crisis.
There is an urgent need for the international community to act to end the suffering of the people of Gaza. It is time to put in place lasting solutions to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and allow Gaza to rebuild and regain stability.