Gaza today: Severe heat, signs of wear and tear and fierce fighting
In a warning, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) reiterated deep concerns that those displaced by the ongoing conflicts in southern Gaza remain vulnerable and are crammed into a narrow area along the beach “in the summer heat scorching summer”.
The UN agency’s Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau previously noted that “active conflict and lawlessness” have made it “almost impossible” for WFP and its partners to respond. meet growing demand.
Signs of waste are visible
Among the alarming shortages facing Gazans, the United Nations aid coordination office, OCHAhighlights shortages of milk and infant formula, along with nutritional supplements for children and pregnant and lactating women.
“Although there are obvious signs of wasting in children, no nutritional screening has been performed to assess the scale of malnutrition. and treatment of identified cases due to limited capacity,” the UN agency noted in its latest report report was published late Wednesday.
Prenatal and postpartum care were also unavailable and some evacuation sites had medical posts operating “only a few hours a day” without adequate supplies of medicine and “reports of emergency cases.” Rescues took place in tents with no medical support at late hours of the night.” ”, the UN agency explained.
Rafah is empty
Meanwhile, in the southernmost province of Rafah, “people continue to be displaced amid active fighting and bombardment,” OCHA said. It cited the United Nations agency’s estimate of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, only about 65,000 people remain in Rafah province. Six weeks ago, before evacuation orders and Israeli military operations paralyzed relief work, the area hosted 1.4 million people.
“At the relocation sites, internally displaced persons are living in overcrowded shelters and tents, in dire need of repair, and without any protection from the heat,” OCHA said. extremely high,” OCHA said, citing the latest assessments of four sites in Deir al Balah, Khan Younis. and Al Mawasi – total population of more than 130,000 people.
In a related development, OCHA also reported that for the first time since early June, five fuel trucks entered Gaza. But supplies are still scarce “as No fuel has been delivered to the Strip in the past two weeks.”.
Aid stores were attacked
According to WFP’s Mr. Skau, who visited Gaza last week, one million displaced people in southern Gaza remain “trapped, without clean water or sanitation. It is a public health and protection disaster.”
In northern GazaHe noted that aid delivery has improved even though people need more nutritious foods. But providing life-saving aid is increasingly difficult, because UN staff “spend five to eight hours waiting at checkpoints every day. Missiles hit our facility, even though the conflict had been resolved.”
“The breakdown of law and order means we also face looting and violence amid a major security vacuum,” Mr. Skau continued, amid scenes of “ large-scale destruction, rivers of sewage (and)”the wounded and exhausted…from the south to the northern tip of the Strip”.
Meanwhile, OCHA said ground attacks and heavy fighting continued in locations including Beit Hanoun, southern Gaza City, eastern Deir al Balah, northeastern Khan Younis, as well as in central and southern Rafah.
Deadly harvest
The latest United Nations assessments also indicate that in addition to southern Gaza’s lack of access to shelter, health, fresh food, water and sanitation, More than half of the region’s cropland has been damaged.
This has severely disrupted Gaza’s food supply chain, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warns (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT), in review arable land, greenhouses and other agricultural works.
Although more than 40% of the total area of the Gaza Strip is covered by fields, vegetable plantations and orchards – about 150 square kilometers (93 square miles), UN agencies highlight “the decline of significant reduction” in crop potential due to “movement of heavy and destructive vehicles”. , bombing, shelling and other conflict-related activities”.
According to FAO and UNOSAT, as of May this year, about 57% of arable land in Gaza was estimated to have been damaged, compared with more than 40% in mid-February.
Hundreds of agricultural structures were also damaged, including 537 family barns, 484 broiler farms, 397 sheep farms and 256 agricultural warehouses, covering nearly half of Gaza’s area, the FAO said. agricultural wells (1,049 out of 2,261) as of May 20.
Latest data from Gaza health authorities shows that at least 37,396 Palestinians have been killed and 85,523 injured in the area.
