United Nations agencies are raising alarms over the escalating Israeli attacks in Gaza, which are severely jeopardizing the region's basic means of survival.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted that the onslaught on healthcare and emergency services, coupled with restricted humanitarian access and assaults on civilians, is dismantling essential infrastructure needed for survival in Gaza.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported the closure of Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza following an Israeli raid and the detention of its director, Hussam Abu Safiya. Patients in critical condition were relocated to the non-functional Indonesian Hospital, exacerbating the healthcare crisis.
In a statement on X, Tedros emphasized the dire situation: \"Amid ongoing chaos in northern Gaza, WHO and partners delivered basic medical and hygiene supplies, food, and water to the Indonesian Hospital and transferred 10 critical patients to Al-Shifa Hospital. Four patients were detained during the transfer. We urge Israel to ensure their healthcare needs and rights are upheld.\"
The OCHA reported that their recent mission to North Gaza faced significant obstacles, with most of their attempts to deliver aid being denied by Israeli authorities. The situation is further complicated by armed looting of humanitarian convoys and continued restrictions on imports, leaving families without essential supplies as winter approaches.
Humanitarian access remains critically hindered across the Gaza Strip, with over 60 percent of UN-coordinated aid movements being blocked or impeded since Friday. The UN calls for safe and unhindered access to provide necessary assistance to those in desperate need.
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UN agencies say Israeli attacks in Gaza dismantle means of survival
cgtn.com
