GAZA, (PIC)
Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, has warned that humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip continue to deteriorate, urging the international community to increase financial support and press for the entry of greater quantities of humanitarian aid.
Fletcher made the remarks during a UN Security Council session held on Thursday at the request of the ten non-permanent members to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803, which addresses the ceasefire and the proposed plan to end the war.
While noting that the proportion of households experiencing hunger in Gaza has fallen from 92% to 36%, Fletcher stressed that residents remain deprived of the most basic necessities of life.
He said civilians in Gaza continue to be killed and injured daily by airstrikes, shelling, and gunfire despite a reduction in direct hostilities since the ceasefire came into effect.
Fletcher pointed out that nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the truce, including more than 250 children, describing the continued loss of children’s lives as evidence of the severe humanitarian situation facing Gaza’s civilian population.
The UN official also emphasized that Gaza remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian workers. He noted that nearly 600 aid workers have been killed in recent years, accounting for more than half of all humanitarian personnel killed worldwide during the same period.
Fletcher warned that large numbers of Palestinians are now confined to increasingly shrinking areas under extremely difficult living conditions and ongoing restrictions on movement.
He added that around 70% of Gaza’s population requires adequate shelter, while essential services are nearing collapse. According to the World Health Organization, no hospital in Gaza is currently operating at full capacity.
The UN official also highlighted the worsening water crisis, citing UNICEF estimates that more than 1.1 million children struggle daily to access safe drinking water.
He further warned of deteriorating sanitation conditions and rising health risks, including an increase in injuries and illnesses linked to rat infestations and rodent bites, urging UN Security Council members to treat these warning signs with the utmost seriousness.
Fletcher also pointed to severe shortages of electrical generators, engine oil, and spare parts, which have intensified civilian suffering and forced residents to rely on costly and inadequate alternatives, including transporting water over long distances and carrying out medical evacuations under extremely difficult conditions.
Concluding his briefing, Fletcher called for urgent action to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza and to ensure that aid and essential services can reach civilians without obstruction.