The introduction of a negotiated pause is an important step in the right direction, but much remains to be done, said Farhan Haq, spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres.
The day before, the spokesman confirmed the implementation of agreements, including through discussions with the necessary authorities, to increase the importation of supplies and assistance in view of the possibility of a ceasefire, which was confirmed this Wednesday.
“We are trying to ensure that we are prepared so that in the event of a lull in fighting, which we have called for, we can provide humanitarian assistance more effectively,” he told the press.
At the same time, he warned that this delivery “depends to a certain extent on the actions of the parties on the ground.”
Haq confirmed on Tuesday an attack on Al-Awda hospital in northern Gaza that left three people, two doctors and a patient’s companion dead.
Since the start of the war, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 178 attacks on health facilities in the Gaza Strip, resulting in 22 deaths and 48 injured service members, he said.
According to the WHO, two small hospitals in the north, one in Gaza City and one in Beit Lahiya, are estimated to be partially operational and accepting patients.
The remaining 22 are out of service, while of the 11 medical facilities in the south, seven are currently operational.
Guterres’ spokesman also reported yesterday the death of a WHO official along with her six-month-old baby, her husband and her two brothers.
Between October 7 and November 19, 108 officials of the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) were murdered in Gaza, he complained.
For its part, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed yesterday the arrival of 63,800 liters of fuel from Egypt to the enclave.
However, according to UNRWA, the amount approved by the Israeli authorities barely covers half of daily needs.
This puts the lives of the population at risk. The siege is a collective punishment and also a condition for humanitarian aid, emphasizes a message published on the social network
According to the United Nations, another 79 trucks carrying humanitarian aid arrived from Egypt on Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total to 1,399 vehicles, not counting those arriving with fuel.
However, even before the crisis, an average of almost 10,000 trucks carrying commercial and humanitarian products (excluding fuel) were arriving each month.
Local agencies estimate that 770,000 internally displaced people are seeking refuge in extremely overcrowded conditions at 99 UNRWA facilities in the south.
As a result, the agency has seen a 35 percent increase in skin diseases and a 40 percent increase in diarrhea cases over the past two weeks.
rgh/ebr