Today's Edition
ABDULLAH ABUZAID (CAIRO)
Adnan Abu Hasna, media advisor for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza, warned of the danger of expanding the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, following the depletion of fuel within the area.
This is a cause for concern because fuel is used by the medical sector for different purposes, including conducting medical procedures for emergency cases, in addition to using it to operate mills and many other key sectors on which civilians rely in their daily lives.
Adnan Abu Hasna told Aletihad that the entry of fuel is necessary to preserve the lives of civilians and ensure the proper functioning of the medical sector, which currently operates under difficult and arduous conditions. He said that the absence of fuel heralds a complete halt in the medical sector, and, therefore, a humanitarian disaster.
He pointed out that the Gaza Strip needs 100 humanitarian aid trucks daily, while so far only around 37 have entered, most of which are essential medical aids for the medical sector, and do not include food or fuel, which is considered a necessity for medical purposes and performing urgent and necessary surgical operations for the injured.
Adnan called for allowing all humanitarian aid to reach the people of the Gaza Strip without interruption, especially since civilians are the main victims of the ongoing events. UNRWA is cooperating with various parties to reach a solution to allow all humanitarian aid, especially food and fuel, to enter and assist the main sectors and mitigate the suffering endured within the area.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, pointed out that without fuel, “we will fail the people of Gaza whose needs are increasing every hour, under our watch, and this cannot and should not happen”.
He said: “I call on all parties, and those who have influence over them, to immediately allow the entry of fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip to prevent the collapse of the humanitarian response.”
He added: “UNRWA currently shelters over half a million people out of approximately one million displaced persons across the Gaza Strip.”
He welcomed the entry of a relief convoy to Gaza. However, it is far from sufficient, he noted, adding that for it to be effective, Gaza needs a continuous and expanded humanitarian supply line.
UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
