The UN made a $2.8 billion plea on Tuesday to help 3 million Palestinians in dire need, emphasizing that in addition to food, clean water, and health facilities are required to combat the impending famine in Gaza’s war-torn region.
In order to restore those services and fulfill basic requirements, “huge efforts” are needed, and they cannot be completed during military operations, according to Andrea De Domenico, the head of the U.N. humanitarian office for Gaza and the West Bank.
He said that “not a single university that is standing in Gaza” and alluded to the damage of homes, roads, schools, hospitals, and water and sanitation services.
According to De Domenico, Israel’s most extensive medical institution in Gaza, Shifa Hospital, was severely damaged during its most recent major military campaign.
As an example, he questioned what the military objective was in shooting an MRI scanner that examines parts of the body and can detect cancers.
He claimed that his team has been working with “a scene of dread” in the hospital, where Palestinian and U.N. colleagues are assisting individuals in attempting to identify family members based on clothing or shoes found on “the remnants of corpses.”
Following the April 1 drone strikes that claimed the lives of seven relief workers from the World Central Kitchen who were bringing food into the region, Israel pledged to open additional border crossings and increase the flow of supplies into Gaza.
Israel’s closest allies denounced the executions, which intensified criticism of Israel’s actions in the six-month conflict with Hamas that began with the Islamist group’s surprise invasion in southern Israel that claimed 1,200 lives and kidnapped 250 more. The Gaza attack by Israel aimed at destroying Hamas has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,800 people, according to local health officials.
De Domenico cited the opening of bakeries and a bridge to the north, where famine poses the greatest threat, as evidence of Israel’s “genuine will” to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Nonetheless, he claimed, the U.N. persists in pressuring Israel to take further action.
De Domenico cited Israeli refusals and hold-ups in response to UN appeals for relief convoys to reach Gaza.
He stated that during the week of April 6–12, 41% of U.N. requests that needed to pass through Israeli checkpoints were turned down, and that only last week, a convoy from the U.N. World Food Program and UNICEF was caught in the crossfire in a location that was meant to be safe.
Convoys, according to De Domenico, frequently stop for hours at checkpoints before being cleared in the afternoon—too late to make supplies and get back in time for the day. He claimed that because the Israelis are aware of this, the U.N. can manage events and claim that “we’re not blindly refusing you” by allowing delays.
“We are still in communication with them, and our main goal is to provide assistance and find a solution,” he stated.
The authority on the severity of hunger crises in the world community states that famine is about to break out in northern Gaza, where 70% of the population is suffering from catastrophic hunger. Furthermore, according to a recent assessment, half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents could go hungry if the conflict continues to worsen.
According to De Domenico, the U.N. request was reduced from $4 billion due to challenges in delivering relief into Gaza, and more crucially, to those who require it most.
He claimed that the West Bank, which has seen an increase in violence and settler attacks, will receive 10% of the $2.8 billion needed for the remainder of the year, with 90% going toward Gaza.
(AP)
