Gaza Faces Humanitarian Crisis After Nearly 18 Months Of Bloodshed, Reports OCHA

Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, highlighted the dire situation in Gaza after nearly 18 months of conflict. She noted that two months ago, Israeli authorities had closed all entry points for cargo. This action initiated a crisis where supplies dwindled as the conflict continued. Food stocks were nearly exhausted, water access was severely limited, and hospitals faced shortages of blood units amid ongoing mass casualties.

"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 today.

Cherevko described how community kitchens were closing down due to lack of resources. Those still operational could only provide minimal meals as hunger spread. Children in Gaza were forced to search through trash piles for materials to burn for cooking. To survive, stations across Gaza burned plastic and other waste to create fuel, releasing harmful fumes into the air and posing health risks.

The international community faced a decision: continue ignoring distressing images from Gaza or act decisively to end this blockade. Cherevko stressed that Gazans lacked such choices. She urged reopening crossings so OCHA could resume delivering essential supplies once possible.

"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."

Cherevko emphasised that without intervention from global leaders, the situation would worsen. The blockade's impact on daily life in Gaza was severe and unsustainable. She called on nations worldwide to demonstrate moral courage by taking steps necessary to alleviate this humanitarian disaster.

With inputs from WAM