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U.N. warns Gaza faces imminent fuel blackout as food access collapses
Summary
U.N. officials said fuel shortfalls are forcing hospitals to ration care and humanitarian deliveries are being blocked, while the World Food Programme reports nearly one in three people in Gaza have not eaten for days.
The United Nations spokesperson said at a press briefing that fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip are approaching a critical point and could cause an imminent internet blackout, while hospitals and ambulances are already rationing supplies.
The issue matters because fuel is required to run hospital generators, ambulances, water systems and telecommunications; without it life‑saving services will fail and humanitarian distributions cannot reach people in need.
At the briefing U.N. officials said partners report hospitals are overwhelmed by surges in patients seeking aid. A recent assessment by the World Food Programme (WFP) found nearly one in three people in Gaza had not eaten for days, increasing the risk of starvation; WFP deputy executive director Carl Skau, after visiting Gaza City, described the situation as "the worst he's ever seen," with people "dying just trying to get food." The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned hospitals are running out of fuel and that lifesaving operations cannot be sustained much longer.
OCHA and U.N. speakers urged Israeli authorities to allow fuel and unimpeded humanitarian access across Gaza, including to the north. The spokesperson said Israeli authorities had, for the fourth straight month, not allowed fuel into Gaza and that nearly all remaining U.N. fuel supplies have been reserved for life‑saving services. The spokesperson added that operations to collect fuel from depots often require coordination with Israeli authorities, which remains challenging.
U.N. agencies also reported continuing displacement: a recent displacement order for parts of Khan Yunis could affect more than 50,000 people, and the U.N. reminded audiences that since the end of the ceasefire in March more than 700,000 people have been displaced in Gaza — many more than once — with overcrowding particularly acute in coastal areas. The U.N. Population Fund said women report rising depression, nightmares and anxiety amid food scarcity and malnutrition.
Ending: U.N. officials called for immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access and urged that fuel be allowed into Gaza without delay to prevent further collapse of essential services.
