The humanitarian situation in Gaza is alarming: the director general of the World Health Organization has issued a cry of warning regarding the critical and disastrous situation facing the inhabitants of this region. Famine conditions are reported, with dramatic consequences for the population.
Despite the efforts made to deliver food, it is clear that the most vulnerable people are not receiving the quantity and quality of food that they urgently need. The situation is all the more worrying as more than 8,000 children under the age of five have been diagnosed and treated for acute malnutrition, including 1,600 children suffering from severe malnutrition. However, due to insecurity and access difficulties, only two stabilization centers for severely malnourished patients can operate.
Meanwhile, the WHO director-general also warned of a worsening health crisis in the West Bank, where attacks on health facilities and travel restrictions are hampering access to needed health services.
Since the start of the conflict, more than 36,700 Palestinians have lost their lives, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. This emergency situation calls for rapid and effective mobilization to meet the vital needs of the population, ensuring adequate access to food, health care and humanitarian assistance.
It is imperative that the international community seize this humanitarian crisis and provide concrete and immediate support to avoid an even more serious humanitarian catastrophe. The dignity and survival of the most vulnerable populations are at stake, who must not be abandoned to their fate in the face of emergency and distress.