The denial of aid missions poses a new danger to Gaza’s hospitals, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Despite recent accounts of increased bombing and fighting throughout the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, OCHA stated that they have been denied access to the Central Drug Store in Gaza City and Al Awda Hospital in Jabalya on five separate occasions since December 26. These locations are located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
According to the most recent update from OCHA, the ongoing refusal to supply fuel to water and sanitation facilities is causing a lack of clean water for thousands of individuals and raising the likelihood of sewage overflow, greatly increasing the threat of contagious illnesses in Gaza due to the ongoing war. This update was released on Tuesday evening.
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) reports that only 15 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially operational, with nine in the south and six in the north. Since the conflict began, approximately 500,000 individuals have received healthcare and medical assistance from the UN and its health partners.
in Syria
The strikes in Syria continue to be lethal with no resolution in sight.
According to OCHA, there has been increased and intense bombing from Israeli forces in the past 24 hours in the central and southern regions of Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates on the Strip.
Palestinian armed groups continued to launch rockets into Israel, while there were also ongoing confrontations between Israeli soldiers and militants, particularly in the Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates.
According to the health officials in Gaza, OCHA reported that there were 126 deaths and 241 injuries on the afternoons of January 8th and 9th. The overall estimated number of casualties is over 23,000 Palestinians killed and more than 59,000 injured due to Israeli airstrikes in response to terrorist attacks by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7th. The airstrikes resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, including 36 children, and 240 people being taken as hostages.
According to OCHA, the Israeli government believes that around 136 individuals from Israel and other countries are still being held against their will in Gaza.
NGOs not spared
According to OCHA, the current Israeli attack has led to numerous fatal events and has had a devastating impact on tens of thousands of civilians. Many of these individuals have already evacuated from Gaza City and northern regions to seek refuge in the central and southern areas of the Strip.
A five-year-old child of a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) worker tragically passed away due to injuries sustained from a strike on an MSF shelter in Khan Younis.
According to OCHA, four individuals were allegedly killed and numerous others were wounded in Deir al Balah when a residence in the northwest area was attacked.
According to a report from the UN office, the Israeli military stated that between January 8 and 9, a total of nine soldiers were killed in Gaza. Since the beginning of the ground operation, 183 soldiers have been killed and 1,065 have been injured.
The southern region of Gaza Strip, specifically in Rafah, has been heavily damaged due to continuous bombardments.
High population density contributes to the spread of diseases.
In the meantime, United Nations officials restated concerns about the increasing threat of illness in the Gaza Strip, specifically in the city of Rafah in the south, as additional civilians are forced to leave due to Israeli evacuation orders.
Prior to the war, Rafah had a population of approximately 280,000 individuals. However, according to a recent post by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the population has now surpassed one million. This information was shared on their online platform, X, on Tuesday.
The agency reported that the rise in disease is concerning due to the crowded streets, and the staff are struggling to keep up with the growing demand.
1.9 million uprooted
According to UNRWA, approximately 1.9 million people, which accounts for 85% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced after enduring over three months of violence.
The United Nations agency continues to provide housing for approximately 1.4 million individuals in 155 UNRWA buildings throughout all five regions, yet these facilities are currently overcrowded and surpassing their original capacity.
According to the statement, the UNWRA facilities have been targeted 63 times, resulting in the deaths of 319 displaced individuals and injuries to over 1,135 people since October 7th.
According to OCHA, 131 trucks carrying supplies entered the Gaza Strip on January 9th through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.
Source: news.un.org
