Gaza: Worrying alerts from United Nations staff in the Gaza Strip who have been fainting from hunger and exhaustion over the past 48 hours have increased fears for people's survival in the devastated enclave, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday. Doctors, nurses, journalists, humanitarians, among them UNRWA staff, are hungry and fainting due to hunger and exhaustion while performing their duties, said Juliette Touma, Director of Communications with the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA.
According to United Nations, seeking food has become as deadly as the bombardments. The foundation's hubs, supported by the US and Israeli authorities, started operating in southern Gaza on 27 May, bypassing the UN and other established non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Juliette Touma described the GHF distribution scheme as a death-trap, where snipers reportedly open fire randomly on crowds. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini termed the scheme a massive hunt of people in total impunity, emphasizing that humanitarian assistance should not be handled by mercenaries.
Living conditions in Gaza have deteriorated significantly, with prices for basic commodities spiking by around 4,000 percent. People have lost their homes and have no income, depriving them of essentials. Ms. Touma shared a colleague's account of paying almost $200 for a bag of lentils and some flour after walking for hours. On Monday, the UN World Food Programme reported that a quarter of Gaza's population faces famine-like conditions, with nearly 100,000 women and children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Vital everyday items such as diapers are scarce and costly, forcing parents to resort to makeshift solutions. Ms. Touma stated that UNRWA has 6,000 trucks loaded with food, medicines, and hygiene supplies waiting in Egypt and Jordan to be allowed into the enclave. She reiterated calls for a ceasefire to facilitate a standard flow of humanitarian supplies under UN management.
World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarik Jašarevic condemned recent attacks on a building housing WHO staff in Deir Al-Balah, highlighting the mistreatment of those sheltering there. Staff and their families were exposed to danger, and some were detained, with one WHO employee still held without charges. The latest evacuation order has impacted WHO premises, crippling efforts to sustain a collapsing health system.
According to Gaza's health authorities, since the start of the war in October 2023, some 1,500 health workers have been killed, and 94 percent of health facilities have been damaged. The WHO spokesperson highlighted the denial of visas by Israeli authorities for emergency medical teams seeking to enter Gaza, further complicating the humanitarian situation.
Ms. Touma emphasized the lack of access for international media to the enclave, urging for firsthand reporting on the situation in Gaza. UN humanitarians continue to report the collapse of critical lifelines amid ongoing hostilities, with local authorities noting deaths from hunger and people collapsing in the streets. OCHA underscored the unacceptable pattern of civilians coming under fire while trying to access food.