Hospitals and other critical medical infrastructure in the Gaza Strip have been attacked nearly 600 times since the war broke out in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday.
Of these 600 attacks, around 613 people in the facilities died and more than 770 were injured.
WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier condemned the continuation of the fighting and bombing, saying that “the reduction of humanitarian space and attacks on health care are pushing the population of Gaza to the brink.”
The attacks affected 94 health centers, including 26 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
The children are trapped in a nightmare
The director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement that the children of Gaza are “trapped in a nightmare that is getting worse with each passing day.”
Catherine Russell noted that the life of The little ones “are increasingly at risk from preventable illnesses and lack of food and water.”“All children and civilians must be protected from violence and have access to basic services and supplies,” he added.
Cases of diarrhea in children under five rose from 48,000 to 71,000 in just one week from December 17th, equivalent to 3,200 new cases of diarrhea per day.
Russell emphasized that this significant increase suggests that the health of children in Gaza is “deteriorating rapidly.” Before the escalation of hostilities, an average of 2,000 cases of diarrhea per month were recorded in children under five.
The relief efforts stalled
In a statement from the spokesperson for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday, aid workers made it clear that the speed and scale of assistance is continually affected by conditions on the ground.
“The United Nations and our humanitarian partners remain committed and continue to do everything they can to meet the growing needs in Gaza. However, the operational environment and responsiveness continue to be impacted by the crisis.” Security risks, mobility restrictions, delays and rejections” said Eri Kaneko.
“Multiple controls, long truck queues and difficulties at border crossings continue to hinder operations.” Aid operations in the Gaza Strip are under constant firein which humanitarian workers died and some convoys were fired upon,” he noted.
The spokesman clarified that other problems included poor communication, damaged roads and delays at checkpoints.
“An effective relief operation in Gaza requires security, personnel able to work safely, logistical capacity and the resumption of commercial activity,” Kaneko concluded.
142 UNRWA staff killed
Meanwhile, the United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) reported that the total number The number of people killed since hostilities began is 142.
The organization explained that since October 7th last year Up to 1.9 million people have been displaced across the Gaza Stripsome of them several times.
This figure represents more than 85% of Gaza's population, the agency stressed, adding that families are repeatedly forced to move “in search of safety.”
Nearly 1.4 million internally displaced people are currently housed in 155 UNRWA facilities across the five provinces of the Gaza Strip. That figure includes 160,000 in the north and Gaza City, according to data last checked shortly after the escalation began.
Another 500,000 people “are located near these facilities and are receiving assistance” from UNRWA.
IOM is asking for $69 million
For its part, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has one Flash appeal worth $69 million to support its response to the growing and urgent humanitarian needs in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The needed funds would also help neighboring countries affected by the ongoing hostilities in Gaza.
The UN agency said this in a statement Hundreds of thousands of civilians urgently need help. However, due to “the long approval process for humanitarian aid trucks at the border and the intense ground operations and fighting,” it remains very difficult to receive aid for them.
“Frequent disruptions” in communications networks also hampered the coordination of humanitarian assistance, “along with insecurity, blocked roads and fuel shortages,” according to the agency.
The IOM said that the deteriorating security situation in the border areas between Israel and Lebanon outside the Gaza Strip had forced about 76,000 people to leave their homes in southern Lebanon.