Gaza Faces Severe Humanitarian Crisis: UN
Millions Struggle Without Shelter, Food, or Aid Amid Blockade and Winter Rains. UN Warns of Dire Conditions for Palestinian Refugees in Gaza
Source: UN / Image: © WFP/Jonathan Dumont
Senior UNRWA official Louise Wateridge has raised alarm over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating, “The world cannot see what is happening to these people; finding shelter for families in these conditions is impossible.” Reporting from the Nuseirat area in central Gaza, Wateridge described relentless overnight rains during harsh winter conditions, which continued into Friday morning. She emphasized, “This entire society has turned into a graveyard… More than two million people are trapped in this disaster with no way out.”
People are deprived of basic necessities, she added, and it seems “every path here leads to death.”
UNICEF echoed this grim warning, highlighting severe and widespread malnutrition levels in the Gaza Strip. UNICEF communications specialist Rosalia Bollen reported from Amman that over 96% of women and children in Gaza are unable to meet their basic nutritional needs. She revealed that for more than 75 days, northern Gaza has been under near-total Israeli blockade, leaving humanitarian aid unable to reach vulnerable children for over 10 weeks.
In his Op-ed for the Guardian, @UNLazzarini calls for political courage to defend and reinforce the multilateral system and the international rules-based order. The State of Israel continues to claim that UNRWA is infiltrated by Hamas, even though all allegations for which… pic.twitter.com/v31LhyMHqg
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 20, 2024
“The suffering is not just physical; it’s psychological,” Bollen stated. “Children are freezing, soaked, and barefoot. Many are still wearing summer clothes. With cooking gas running out, I’ve seen children scavenging for plastic in garbage heaps to burn for warmth.”
Wateridge stressed the urgent need to deliver aid to those displaced by Israeli bombardments, who have few resources to protect themselves from the elements. She explained, “Finding proper shelter in these conditions is impossible. Most people are living in makeshift tents with no waterproof coverings, and 69% of buildings are either damaged or destroyed. There is no refuge for them to escape these circumstances.”
Due to Israeli-imposed restrictions, humanitarian workers are forced to prioritize food over shelter, deepening the despair in Gaza. This has also raised fears of chaos over food distribution. Wateridge noted, “The only certainty is the winter we are planning for, but we still haven’t been able to secure enough shelter supplies because food distribution had to take priority. Women have been crushed to death while waiting for a piece of bread.”
On Thursday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that Israeli authorities rejected another UN request to deliver food and water to the Israeli-besieged areas of northern Gaza. As a result, Palestinians in parts of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and Jabalia remain deprived of life-saving assistance.
