Five United Nations agencies reiterated the call made by Secretary-General António Guterres for a humanitarian ceasefire and safe access for civilians to humanitarian aid, in an effort to save lives and prevent further sufferings.

The United Nations Development Program, the Population and Children’s Funds, the World Food Program, and the World Health Organization issued a statement reminding the great needs of the Strip before the recent conflict. “Gaza had a desperate humanitarian situation before the most recent hostilities. Now it is catastrophic. The world must do more,” they stressed.

The statement assures that the first shipments provided a lifeline in the face of the emergency, but hundreds of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, deprived of water, food, medicine, fuel, and other essential items are in need of much more.

According to the UN’s estimates, over 1.6 million people in Gaza are in critical need of humanitarian aid, with minors, pregnant women and the elderly among the most vulnerable.

Two weeks of constant air strikes by Israel have damaged or destroyed much of the civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including shelters, health facilities, water, sanitation, and electrical systems. In addition to this, hospitals are overwhelmed by victims, and it is difficult to access essential food. Health centers are already out of fuel or running low, and are expected to run out in the coming days, while water production capacity is at five percent of normal levels.

“Children are dying at an alarming rate and are being denied their rights to protection, food, water, and medical care,” support agencies warned, stressing that Gaza needs a large-scale and sustained flow of aid to preserve the lives of its inhabitants. “We ask for maximum respect for international humanitarian law by all parties,” they added.

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