The conflict in the Gaza Strip and West Bank is taking a severe toll on the region, with continued Israeli military bombardments. Israeli Air Forces are conducting strikes across the area, while directives are given for Gaza’s population to move south.
One of the critical concerns is water scarcity, which poses a severe threat to lives. The breakdown of water and sanitation services, including the shutdown of Gaza’s last functioning seawater desalination plant, raises alarming concerns about dehydration and waterborne diseases. There’s a limited water supply, with only a three-hour opening of a water line in the south of the Gaza Strip benefiting just half of Khan Yunis’ population.
UNRWA estimates that Gaza needs 600,000 liters of fuel per day to operate water and desalination plants. Fuel reserves at hospitals in Gaza are expected to last only another 24 hours, posing a severe risk to thousands of patients.
The human toll is devastating, with the Palestinian Ministry of Health reporting 2,670 Palestinians killed and 9,600 injured in Gaza over nine days. In Israel, casualties have reached 1,300 killed and at least 4,121 injured. Tragically, 14 UNRWA staff members have lost their lives since October 7.
UNRWA installations across Gaza have been impacted by airstrikes and bombardments, with 24 confirmed reports, though the actual number is likely higher. This crisis has resulted in an estimated 1 million people being displaced in the Gaza Strip, with nearly 400,000 hosted in UNRWA installations, especially in the Middle Area, Khan Yunis, and Rafah.
Tensions are rising at the UNRWA Rafah Logistics Base, which is currently accommodating almost 8,000 people. Despite evacuation orders from Israeli Forces, internally displaced individuals remain in UNRWA schools in the north, where UNRWA can no longer provide assistance or protection.
UNRWA operates eight Primary Health Clinics in the middle and southern areas, but medicine supplies are running low, and transportation challenges make resupply difficult.
Efforts are being made to advocate for critical humanitarian supplies to enter the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the West Bank faces significant access restrictions, escalating settler violence, and a concerning death toll of 58 Palestinians and 1,176 injured since October 7.
