Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
United Nations, Dec 5.- The United Nations (UN) humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, warned of the development of an even more hellish scenario in Gaza as a consequence of the resumption of hostilities.
We see a health system on its knees, lack of clean water, lack of adequate sanitation and poor nutrition for people who are already mentally and physically exhausted: a textbook formula for epidemics and a public health disaster, she warned in a statement.
The representative assured that, after the end of the pause, humanitarian operations may not be able to respond to the devastating context of the enclave.
The permitted quantities of relief supplies and fuel are absolutely insufficient, she lamented.
According to the envoy, using the Rafah crossing alone to bring in goods trucks is not working despite the enormous efforts of the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies, UN agencies and other partners.
Hastings insisted that the space for humanitarian response allowed inside Gaza is steadily shrinking.
The two most important routes - the Coast Highway and the Salahaddin Highway - are now cut off to our teams and trucks, hampering our ability to help people wherever they are, she said.
After the end of the pause, 700 Palestinians died in addition to the 15,500 already murdered, the representative said, recalling the expansion of Israeli military operations towards southern Gaza.
This forces tens of thousands of people to move to ever smaller spaces, desperate to find food, water, shelter and safety, she stressed.
The United Nations and NGOs alone cannot support a population of 2.2 million, she stressed.
The commercial and public sectors must be allowed to bring supplies into Gaza to replenish markets, including with fuel, and in a way that ensures Israel's security.
The humanitarian coordinator described the announcements about the establishment of so-called safe zones and tent cities as alarming.
This, she added, does not establish guarantees that people can move freely and receive assistance when necessary.
These zones cannot be safe or humanitarian when declared unilaterally, she emphasized.
The UN is ready to work with all parties to expand the number of safe havens managed by the agency and provide assistance where needed, Hastings said. (PL) (Photo: Taken from the Internet)
