The latest update from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) regarding the worsening conditions for 1.9 million displaced individuals in the Gaza Strip attributed the lack of distribution beyond Wadi Gaza to delays, denials, and ongoing conflict.

According to a recent update from OCHA on Wednesday, essential medications and eight truckloads of food were meant to assist over 100,000 individuals for a month. This aid was intended for those currently experiencing severe food insecurity and life-threatening circumstances.

The United Nations aid office reports that Wadi Gaza has been cut off from the southern region for over a month. They once again emphasize the need for secure, consistent, and unobstructed entry to the northern parts of the enclave.

“The OCHA report stated that hospitals in the northern governorates continue to face great difficulties in terms of security, access, transportation, and coordination. These obstacles, both physical and administrative, have persisted and continue to impede aid convoys.”

Volker Türk, the UN’s human rights chief, commented on Thursday about alleged discussions between Israeli officials and other nations regarding the relocation of Gazans.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over recent statements from top Israeli officials about relocating Gaza civilians to other countries. The commissioner stated that 85% of Gaza’s population is already displaced and have the right to return to their homes. International law prohibits the forced displacement or deportation of protected individuals within occupied territory.

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The hospital was once again struck multiple times.

In the southern region of Gaza, there was renewed bombing on Wednesday targeting Al-Amal hospital and the nearby vicinity, which had already been hit on Tuesday resulting in five fatalities. This information was reported by OCHA.

The United Nations office stated that the most recent number of casualties from the recent explosions near and at the Palestine Red Crescent Society facility have not yet been verified.

The UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) has verified that 13 trucks containing vital medical supplies for surgeries and anaesthesia have entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt since Monday.

The assistance was scheduled to reach Nasser Medical Complex and three additional hospitals in the southern Gaza region – Al Aqsa, Al Awda, and European Gaza hospital – providing enough resources to support approximately 142,000 individuals in need of medical care.

According to WHO, the healthcare situation in Gaza is dire as only 13 out of the 36 hospitals are functioning partially. This includes nine in the southern region and four in the northern region.

On Wednesday, OCHA reported that a combined amount of 105 trucks carrying food, medicine, and other necessary items were able to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.

Markets lack essentials

The latest UN aid report states that displaced families still require fundamental necessities, as there is a shortage of crucial items such as children’s clothes, diapers, and sanitary pads in the nearby markets.

In Gaza, approximately 1.4 million individuals are seeking shelter in 155 facilities managed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinians. The Rafah governorate in the southern region continues to serve as the primary haven for displaced Gazans, with roughly one million people crowded together.

Vaccine boost

To prevent the rapid spread of diseases due to the deterioration of water and sanitation systems, UNRWA declared on Wednesday that it will collaborate with UNICEF, WHO, and other organizations to administer more than 960,000 vaccine doses in the Gaza Strip.

Beneficiaries will be safeguarded from illnesses such as measles, pneumonia, and polio as a supplement to a prior vaccination effort carried out by aid organizations at the end of December. The campaign distributed over 600,000 vaccine doses to Gaza.

The risk of famine is increasing every day.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) emphasized the importance of stopping the decline of healthcare, nutrition, and hunger in Gaza, where 2.2 million people are at risk of famine on a daily basis and in urgent need of food assistance.

Source: news.un.org