Gaza: UNICEF mourns seven children killed queuing for water

Gaza: UNICEF mourns seven children killed queuing for water

The incident occurred in central Gaza on Sunday, according to media reports, which said that four other people also lost their lives due to the Israeli airstrike.  The Israeli military said it had been targeting a terrorist but a “technical error” saw the munition stray off course. Uphold protection of children UNICEF Executive Director Catherine […]

No fuel, no aid, no escape: UN agencies warn of looming collapse in Gaza

No fuel, no aid, no escape: UN agencies warn of looming collapse in Gaza

“Fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza,” said the statement. “Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people.” UN humanitarian workers stressed that fuel powers everything from hospitals and water systems to bakeries and ambulances. Without a steady supply, “maternity, neonatal and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances can no longer […]

Gaza: ‘Unacceptable’ choice between getting shot or getting fed

Gaza: ‘Unacceptable’ choice between getting shot or getting fed

UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva on Friday that “we’ve raised concerns about atrocity crimes having been committed and the risk of further atrocity crimes, where people are lining up for essential supplies such as food and medicine and where they are being attacked, where again… they have a choice between being shot […]

UNICEF deplores ‘unconscionable’ killing of families lining up for aid in Gaza

UNICEF deplores ‘unconscionable’ killing of families lining up for aid in Gaza

Catherine Russell said she was appalled by the reported killing of 15 Palestinians, including nine children and four women, who were waiting in line for nutritional supplements provided by Project Hope, a UNICEF partner organization. The incident occurred in Deir Al-Balah. An additional 30 people were injured, including 19 children. News reports indicate that it […]

UN warns of deepening health crisis in Gaza amid mass casualty incidents

UN warns of deepening health crisis in Gaza amid mass casualty incidents

Across the Gaza Strip, as people desperately search for food, mass casualty incidents are reported almost daily, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters at his regular briefing in New York. Hospitals, already under immense strain, are struggling to cope and lack of essential supplies – including fuel and medicines – is placing even greater pressure […]

Gaza: Hospitals rationing critical supplies, ambulances stalling

Gaza: Hospitals rationing critical supplies, ambulances stalling

What little fuel remains is powering essential operations, but it is running out fast, and there are virtually no additional accessible stocks left, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said, citing reports from the UN relief coordination office, OCHA.   “Hospitals are rationing. Ambulances are stalling. Water systems are on the brink. And the deaths this is […]

UN chief ‘appalled’ by worsening Gaza crisis as civilians face displacement, aid blockades

UN chief ‘appalled’ by worsening Gaza crisis as civilians face displacement, aid blockades

Multiple attacks in recent days have killed and injured scores of Palestinians at sites hosting displaced people and others attempting to access essential supplies, according to a statement from UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Thursday. “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the loss of civilian life,” Mr. Dujarric said. On just one day this week, nearly 30,000 […]

Gaza: Access to key water facility in Khan Younis disrupted, UN reports

Gaza: Access to key water facility in Khan Younis disrupted, UN reports

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli authorities issued displacement orders overnight for two neighbourhoods in Khan Younis, where up to 80,000 people had been living. The Al Satar reservoir – a critical hub for distributing piped water from Israel – has become inaccessible as a result. Grave warnings […]

Gaza: Families deprived of the means for survival, humanitarians warn

Gaza: Families deprived of the means for survival, humanitarians warn

“As humanitarian assistance and basic services dwindle, people in Gaza have been increasingly deprived of the means for their survival,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York. It has been 17 weeks since any fuel has entered Gaza, according to Mr. Dujarric – a critical shortage that forced the […]

Gaza: UN urges Israel to allow fuel into Strip

Gaza: UN urges Israel to allow fuel into Strip

“Amid ongoing Israeli military operations, scores of people have reportedly been killed and injured, including while waiting for food,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. “Over the weekend, there were numerous reports of attacks hitting homes, as well as schools hosting displaced people,” it added. Catastrophic hunger OCHA noted that […]

Gaza: ‘Unbearable’ suffering continues, UN official tells Security Council

Gaza: ‘Unbearable’ suffering continues, UN official tells Security Council

Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East Khaled Khiari said more than 1,000 Palestinians had been killed since mid-June alone, many of them while seeking aid. Citing figures from the Gazan health authorities, he reported that the total number of Palestinian fatalities since 7 October 2023 had surpassed 56,500. “The […]

Guterres calls for immediate Gaza ceasefire as humanitarian crisis reaches ‘horrific proportions’

Guterres calls for immediate Gaza ceasefire as humanitarian crisis reaches ‘horrific proportions’

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters ahead of his departure to Spain for the International Conference on Financing for Development, the Secretary-General said that while the Israel-Iran conflict had dominated recent headlines, the plight of civilians in Gaza remained urgent and dire. “Families have been displaced again and again – and are now confined to […]

Gaza: Health system crumbles amid growing desperation over food, fuel

Gaza: Health system crumbles amid growing desperation over food, fuel

“Definitely, people get shot,” said Gaza-based medic Dr. Luca Pigozzi, WHO Emergency Medical Team Coordinator. “They are victim of blast injuries as well and bodily injuries.” The WHO official’s comments follow reports of another mass casualty incident on Thursday, this time involving a strike on a market in the central city of Deir al Balah. More […]

‘Fuel for Gaza is a matter of life and death,’ UN warns

‘Fuel for Gaza is a matter of life and death,’ UN warns

“Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel into and throughout the Gaza Strip, effectively choking off life-saving services for deprived and starving people,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during his regular press briefing in New York. Conditions in the enclave remain bleak, as Israeli operations continue to have a devastating impact on civilians, […]

Gaza: Over 400 Palestinians killed around private aid hubs, UN rights office says

Gaza: Over 400 Palestinians killed around private aid hubs, UN rights office says

The alert comes nearly a month since the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) started operating on 27 May in select hubs, bypassing the UN and other established NGOs. Its food distribution points have been associated frequently with confusion and shooting as desperate and hungry Gazans rush to fetch supplies, said UN human rights office spokesperson […]