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Today's Paper | November 18, 2024

Published 24 Nov, 2023 03:07pm

What is the humanitarian situation in besieged Gaza?

Shortages of food, fuel, drinking water and medicines have worsened in recent weeks and UN agencies have warned of mass disease outbreaks that could cause death rates to surge.

Parts of northern Gaza has been cut off from outside help for weeks, with one UN spokesperson describing it as a “hell on earth”, Reuters reports.

Displacement

Over 1.7 million people of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million are estimated to be internally displaced.

Hospitals

None of the hospitals in northern Gaza are functioning normally due to bombardments and lack of fuel.

Aid deliveries

The Rafah crossing reopened for limited aid supplies on October 21 and all other crossings into Gaza remain shut.

A total of 80 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies entered from Egypt on November 23.

Water

There are grave concerns of dehydration in the north where the water desalination plant and the Israeli pipeline supplying water to the north are not functioning, according to OCHA.

Wastewater treatment plants are not operating at full capacity due to damage and fuel shortages and sewage has flowed in the streets near Rafah in recent days, OCHA said.

Read the full report here.

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