UN agencies demand a ceasefire and unrestricted access of aid to all parts of Gaza Strip

Five United Nations agencies have called for a ceasefire and unrestricted access of aid to all parts of Gaza Strip, stressing that more than 1.6 million people in the Strip are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

In a statement on Saturday, the agencies stressed that Gaza Strip is now in a catastrophic humanitarian situation and that the world must take more measures in this regard. They pointed out that health facilities are operating with little fuel, which is expected to run out within two days, and hospitals are crowded with victims.

The five agencies are the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, UNICEF, the World Food Program and the World Health Organization.

The agencies warned that death rates could rise significantly due to the spread of diseases, lack of health care, and the damage or destruction of much of the infrastructure in Gaza during nearly two weeks of continuous bombing by the Israeli occupation warplanes, including shelters, health facilities, water and sanitation, and electrical systems, noting that children, who constitute nearly half of Gaza’s population, pregnant women and the elderly, are at risk the most.

Hamda Mustafa