UN: Gaza humanitarian system ‘last gasp’ as UN premises struck and malnutrition soars

The secretary-general warned at a United Nations press briefing that Gaza’s humanitarian system is collapsing amid intense hostilities, strikes on UN premises and soaring malnutrition.

The secretary-general said the situation in Gaza is a “horror show” in which “malnourishment is soaring, starvation is knocking on every door,” and he urged that UN premises — which parties were given coordinates for — be protected as inviolable civilian sites under international humanitarian law, the UN spokesperson said.

The warning came as UN agencies reported hospitals overwhelmed with trauma patients and shortages of medical supplies and fuel. Local health authorities told UN teams that, in the 24 hours referenced by the UN, “more than a dozen children and adults died from hunger,” and hospitals admitted people in “severe exhaustion caused by lack of food,” according to the briefing transcript.

Why it matters: The UN said humanitarian operations are being hampered by ongoing hostilities, restricted access…