Today's Edition
GAZA, GENEVA (WAM)
The humanitarian response in Gaza is on the verge of total collapse amidst the sharp deterioration in the field conditions and the continued Israeli bombing, said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Friday, cautioning that a complete blockage of aid for two months has left civilians without the essentials they need to survive.
Without an immediate resumption of aid deliveries, the ICRC will not have access to the food, medicines, and life-saving supplies needed to sustain many of its programmes in Gaza.
Olga Cherevko, Spokesperson for UN humanitarian agency OCHA, meanwhile stated that after nearly 18 months of bloodshed, Gaza was in ruins.
"Exactly two months earlier, all entry points had been sealed by the Israeli authorities for the entry of cargo triggering the countdown to the worst-case scenario – supplies becoming depleted while the war raged on. Food stocks had mostly run out, water access was becoming impossible, and hospitals report running out of blood units, as mass casualties continued to arrive. Gaza was inching closer to running on empty as fuel was being rationed to maintain only the most critical operations," said Olga Cherevko in a press briefing in Geneva on Friday.
"Community kitchens had begun to shut down, with those still running only able to offer very modest meals, as more people were going hungry. Children across Gaza, deprived of their childhood for many months, were rummaging through the massive mountains of trash in search of material to burn for cooking. In an effort to survive, stations had been set up across Gaza that burned plastic and other toxic waste to produce fuel, as clouds of black smoke rose to Gaza's skies, emanating dangerous fumes, endangering people's lives and devastating the environment," she said.
Crossings had to reopen, and OCHA stood ready to continue bringing in supplies as soon as that was done, Cherevko said.
The ICRC also remains committed to serving civilians in Gaza, but the deteriorating security situation is severely limiting the work and movement of ICRC personnel and our partners. International humanitarian law is clear: medical personnel and facilities must be respected and protected in all circumstances.
"Aid must be allowed to enter Gaza. Civilians must be protected. Without immediate action, Gaza will descend further into chaos that humanitarian efforts will not be able to mitigate," the ICRC said.
