Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Gaza Humanitarian Crisis topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
UN warns Gaza hostilities are driving a humanitarian catastrophe; thousands need evacuation and aid
Summary
The United Nations briefing said hostilities across Gaza are causing mass civilian casualties, severe shortages of food, water and medical supplies, and mounting public-health risks; WHO and OCHA appealed for medical evacuations and reopening of crossings.
The United Nations on Wednesday warned that ongoing hostilities in Gaza are taking a “horrifying toll” on civilians, with daily reports of strikes killing and injuring large numbers, widespread shortages of food and water, and urgent need for medical evacuations.
At a regular UN briefing, a UN spokesperson cited reporting from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and said partner agencies were warning of mounting public-health threats as community kitchens run out of fuel and supplies and shelters hosting displaced people face acute water shortages. The spokesperson said that in one recent strike in Gaza City dozens were reported killed, including at least eight children, and that many people remain unaccounted for under rubble.
Why it matters: The UN briefing said more than 60,000 children are reportedly suffering from malnutrition while supplies inside the Gaza Strip near exhaustion have contributed to looting and increased public-health risks, including lice infestations in more than one-third of households in March and cohabitation of humans with livestock in overcrowded shelters.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has facilitated some medical evacuations, the briefing said: “Yesterday, 18 patients and nearly 30 companions were allowed to exit to seek specialized treatment abroad,” the spokesperson said, adding that roughly 12,500 patients in Gaza still require evacuation to facilities outside the Strip. OCHA reiterated the urgency of reopening crossings and corridors to allow critical supplies and medical transfers.
UN agencies also reported protection concerns, including the identification this week of more than a dozen unaccompanied or separated children and repeated reporting of civilian casualties. The briefing said partners were doing “everything possible” to reunite children with family members.
During the question-and-answer period, the UN spokesperson said attacks on humanitarian workers “are significant violations of international humanitarian law” and urged accountability in investigations of an attack that reportedly killed 15 emergency workers. Asked whether deliberately killing unarmed emergency workers would constitute a war crime, the spokesperson replied, “Yes. That is. But I don't want to say anything prejudicial to the process right now while the investigation is ongoing.”
The briefing did not announce any new UN access arrangements or specific timelines for additional evacuations; it repeated appeals for crossings to be reopened and for unimpeded humanitarian access so agencies can deliver food, water, medical care and protection services.
