UN and other humanitarian agencies have worked round the clock to preposition aid since the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out following the militant group’s 7 October attack on several locations inside Israel and Israel’s subsequent declaration of war.
Thousands have reportedly been killed on both sides and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee as the situation in the Gaza Strip rapidly deteriorated after Israel warned of an imminent offensive.
United Nations’ Secretary-General, António Guterres on Sunday said that the Middle East was on the “verge of the abyss”.
Guterres in a statement also called for swift humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip and urged Hamas to immediately release the hostages it took.
“Our selfless staff on the ground, along with NGO partners, need to be able to bring these supplies into and throughout Gaza safely,” said Mr. Guterres.
These objectives should not become bargaining chips and must be implemented, appealed the UN Secretary-General, adding that it is “the right thing to do”.
“Gaza is running out of water, electricity, and other essential supplies,” the UN chief said.
“UNRWA operations are the largest United Nations footprint in the Gaza Strip, and we are on the verge of collapse,” he said, explaining that “not one drop of water, not one grain of wheat, not a litre of fuel” had been allowed into the Gaza Strip for the last eight days.
And soon, he added, there would be no food or medicine. Thousands of people have been killed, including children and women. Gaza is now even running out of body bags, the UNRWA chief lamented.
The Israeli military has been blasting targets in the area since the unrivalled attacks on Israeli civilians carried out by Hamas fighters on Oct. 7.
The Palestinian militant organisation, which rules Gaza, launched thousands of rockets toward Israel while hundreds of its fighters breached border defences in an unequalled surprise attack over a week ago in a massacre that left more than 1,300 dead.
Not less than 150 people were also abducted.
