New York - Saba:
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that the number of daily meals provided to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip decreased by 70 percent this week compared to last week.
In statements during a press conference at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, he stressed the importance of UN teams entering Gaza and identifying citizens' needs on the ground.
He pointed out that the number of daily meals in the Gaza Strip decreased from 840,000 meals last week to 260,000, a 70 percent decrease, noting that humanitarian aid is not limited to food alone.
Dujarric also highlighted the need to directly provide water, health, nutrition, education, and protection services to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The UN spokesman warned that fuel is running out in health and water facilities inside the Gaza Strip, which has been under a tight blockade imposed by Israel since last March.
He added: "Healthcare in Gaza is on the brink of collapse, as hospitals face large numbers of wounded amid a severe shortage of basic supplies, equipment, blood, and medical personnel."
The World Health Organization had previously stated that preventing immediate access to food and essential supplies in the Gaza Strip was causing "further deaths and a slide into famine."
It pointed to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released on Monday, which stated that 470,000 people in Gaza were facing "catastrophic levels of hunger (IPC Phase 5)," and that the entire population was suffering from acute food insecurity.
The report also noted that approximately 71,000 children and more than 17,000 mothers were expected to require urgent treatment for acute malnutrition.
| more of (International) |