Today's Edition
ABDULAH ABU DHAIF (CAIRO)
Several United Nations-affiliated (UN) agencies have renewed their calls for a ceasefire and the urgent delivery of aid to Gaza amid the rising number of civilian casualties due to Israeli airstrikes.
The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, issued a press release requesting a humanitarian ceasefire.
“Our calls are falling on deaf ears. A humanitarian ceasefire is long overdue. Without it, more people will be killed, those who are alive will endure further losses, and the once vibrant society will be in grief, forever,” the statement wrote.
Lazzarini visited a school run by UNRWA in Rafah, on the border with Egypt. Discussing his visit, he said: “I have just returned from the Gaza Strip. This is the first time I have been allowed in since the beginning of this horrific war, almost four weeks ago.”
He emphasised that the scale of the tragedy is unprecedented, noting that children there asked him for “a sip of water and a piece of bread”. “It was one of the saddest days in my humanitarian work,” Lazzarini added.
He pointed out that the current humanitarian aid for the Gazan people is far from sufficient and renewed the call for urgent fuel deliveries.
“I call once again for urgent fuel deliveries. No fuel has come for nearly one month and this is having a devastating impact on hospitals, bakeries, water plants, and our operations,” he said.
Regional and international efforts have continued in recent days, hoping to find a solution that will bring relief to civilians in Gaza amid the military escalation that started on October 7, as ongoing water and electricity shortages present a big issue for the healthcare sector.
The World Health Organisation said that health workers and civilian patients have been experiencing complete communication and electricity disruptions inside the Gaza Strip recently due to the escalation of military operations.
Responding to Aletihad’s questions via email, the organisation reiterated its call for a humanitarian ceasefire. Furthermore, it reminded all parties involved in the conflict to take all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
This includes healthcare workers, patients, healthcare facilities, ambulances, and civilians seeking shelter in these facilities. Effective measures must be taken to ensure their safety and provide a secure passage for the movement of medical supplies, fuel, water, and food that Gaza urgently needs.
Amid concerns of shelling near Al-Shifa Hospital and Indonesian Hospital, the organisation stressed that it is impossible to evacuate patients without endangering their lives.
As continuous bombings struck Gaza in the past couple of weeks, hospitals are already operating at a maximum capacity, as many individuals suffered injuries. Due to the significant influx of patients, hospitals are unable to accommodate them, along with thousands of civilians who seek shelter there.
Healthcare workers are dealing with limited supplies with no room for new patients and no means to alleviate their patients’ suffering. There are more casualties every hour, but ambulances cannot reach them due to communication breakdowns, hospitals are overcrowded, and over half of the casualties are women and children.
The organisation said that it continuously communicates with its staff located inside the Gaza Strip, collecting information on the overall impact on civilians and the healthcare sector. It stresses the need to end the ongoing fighting, in line with the United Nations General Assembly resolution that has been adopted, calling for a humanitarian ceasefire, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all detained civilians.
Meanwhile, the UN has condemned Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, which have happened twice in two days, resulting in the deaths of dozens. The Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, expressed his “shock” at the Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalia Camp in Northern Gaza, which houses 116,000 Palestinian refugees.
Eyewitnesses reported significant damage to the camp, many of which are tirelessly sorting through debris in search of survivors.
The spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister’s office said on Thursday that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, agreed on the need to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. “The leaders... discussed the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and agreed on the importance of urgently scaling up the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid,” the British Prime Ministry spokesperson said.
“The Prime Minister and the Secretary-General agreed on the need to reinvigorate international efforts to reach a lasting resolution to the conflict and progress work towards a two-state solution,” the spokesperson added.
Ambassador Christian Berger, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, said during a press conference at Cairo Water Week that the European Union has four desalination plants in Gaza, adding that the lack of fuel hinders the operation of those plants, as well as hospitals.
He noted that the European Union is currently working with the international community to facilitate fuel delivery to desalination plants in Gaza. Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza was struck twice in two days Ongoing water and electricity shortages present a big issue for the healthcare sector UN, UK agreed on the need to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza EU is working with the international community to deliver fuel to Gazan desalination plants
