Gaza Strip Faces Urgent Need for Aid Amidst Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
The heads of three major UN agencies have issued a warning that the Gaza Strip is in desperate need of more aid, as its population teeters on the brink of famine and disease. The dire situation comes as the death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 24,000, according to the authorities in the enclave. While the UN agency chiefs did not directly blame Israel, they identified several challenges that hinder aid delivery, including limited border crossings, a slow vetting process for trucks and goods entering Gaza, and ongoing fighting throughout the territory.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas, which was ignited by an attack by the militant group on southern Israel, has caused unprecedented destruction in the small coastal enclave. As a result, a humanitarian catastrophe has unfolded, displacing the majority of Gaza's 2.3 million population and pushing more than a quarter of them into starvation, according to the UN. The situation has also increased tensions in the region, with Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen carrying out strikes in support of the Palestinians.
Footage shared online by Al Jazeera shows hundreds of desperate civilians rushing towards what appeared to be an aid truck in Gaza City. While the authenticity and timing of the video are yet to be verified, there is no doubt that the people of Gaza are growing increasingly desperate for assistance. Against this backdrop, the World Food Program, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization have called for the urgent opening of new entry routes into Gaza, increasing the number of trucks allowed in each day, and ensuring the safety of aid workers and those seeking assistance.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concerns that humanitarian aid cannot effectively be delivered while Gaza is under heavy bombardment. He highlighted the loss of 152 UN staff members in Gaza since the start of the war as the largest single loss of life in the history of the organization.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported that 132 people killed in Israeli strikes were brought to Gaza hospitals in the past day, bringing the death toll from the war to 24,100. The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and noncombatants in its count, but it states that two-thirds of those killed were women and children. Israel, on the other hand, claims to have killed approximately 8,000 militants without providing evidence. The Israeli military argues that Hamas is responsible for the high Palestinian death toll, accusing the group of exploiting civilian buildings and launching attacks from densely populated areas.
Amidst ongoing military operations, the Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has announced that the intense offensive in southern Gaza will soon be scaled back once Israel asserts military control over the area. However, tensions persist, as evidenced by a car-ramming and stabbing attack carried out by at least two Palestinians in a suburb of Tel Aviv. A woman was killed, and 12 others were wounded in the incident. While Hamas praised the attack, no Palestinian armed groups have claimed responsibility for it.
The war, which commenced on October 7 with Hamas' surprise attack into Israel, has had devastating consequences. The militants killed over 1,200 people in their initial attack, mostly civilians, and captured around 250 individuals. Although more than 100 hostages have been released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a November ceasefire, around half are still being held by Hamas. In a video released by Hamas late Monday, three hostages made statements under duress, pleading for Israel to stop the war and expressing their dire conditions with limited access to food and water. The video also alleges that airstrikes killed two of the hostages and wounded another.
The ongoing conflict has created an unparalleled humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbating the already challenging situation resulting from a lengthy blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt since 2007. The crisis is particularly severe in northern Gaza, where less than a quarter of aid convoys have reached their destinations in January due to limited access granted by Israeli authorities. The UN agencies are now calling for access to the Israeli port of Ashdod, situated north of Gaza, which would allow for larger quantities of aid to be shipped in and directly provided to the northern part of the territory.
Israel, however, has attributed the challenges in aid delivery to the UN and other groups. Israeli military official Moshe Tetro suggested that the process would be more streamlined if the UN provided more workers to receive and pack supplies. He also emphasized the need for additional trucks to transfer aid for security checks and an extension of working hours at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The Israeli authorities sealed off Gaza after Hamas' attack in October but later eased their restrictions under pressure from the United States and the UN. Nevertheless, both entities continue to advocate for Israel to facilitate the flow of aid.
As the crisis in Gaza intensifies, urgent action is required to prevent widespread famine and disease. The UN, international community, and all involved parties must prioritize the wellbeing of the civilian population and ensure the swift delivery of humanitarian aid. Only through collective efforts can the immediate needs of Gazans be addressed and a path towards peace and stability be forged.
