HAMILTON (Canada), July 22 — The United Nations (UN) said on Monday that 87.7 per cent of the Gaza Strip lies within Israeli militarised zones, under displacement orders, or in areas where the two overlap, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference that 87.7 per cent of Gaza is now under displacement orders or within displacement zones, squeezing about 2.1 million people into a fragmented area of the Strip where hardly any services are available.
Dujarric said more than 1.3 million people in Gaza are in need of shelter and household items.
“Harsh weather, humidity, overcrowding and frequent disassembly and reassembly of tents and tarpaulins lead to a shorter lifespan for shelter items.”
He highlighted the dire situation in the enclave, where no shelter supplies have entered for more than four months.
“The fuel crisis continues. The limited quantities that have been allowed to enter Gaza in recent days are hardly sufficient,” he said, adding that the UN is prioritising the use of available fuel for the most critical operations.
Dujarric also emphasised the deeply concerning reports of severely malnourished people who are arriving at medical points and hospitals in extremely poor health amid ongoing Israeli attacks.
“Yesterday, the Health Ministry reported that more than a dozen people, including children, have reportedly died from hunger in the last 24 hours,” he said, describing the situation on the ground as nearly impossible.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 86 people, including 76 children, have died from hunger and dehydration since October 2023.
Gaza’s government media office warned the enclave is “on the brink of mass death” after over 140 days of a near-total closure of all crossings.
Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza. The relentless bombing has destroyed the enclave, nearly collapsed its health system, and created famine-like conditions.
— Bernama
