Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Ramallah, April 22 – The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has entered a phase of total collapse as a result of the attacks and blockade imposed by Israel, an official Palestinian source denounced today.
The Government Press Office in the territory explained that the serious deterioration is a result of the systematic policy of blockade and famine imposed by the neighboring country's army.
The complete, continuous and deliberate denial of humanitarian aid entry for more than a month and a half significantly exacerbated the crisis, it stressed.
The institution warned that more than two million Palestinians are threatened by lack of food.
It highlighted in particular the difficult situation of more than 1.1 million minors suffering from malnutrition, amid a serious shortage of food and water, the almost total collapse of the health system and the deprivation of the minimum necessities of life.
“Scenes of long queues at the remaining food distribution points have become a tragic daily occurrence in all governorates of the Gaza Strip,” it lamented.
He reported that Israeli troops attacked at least 37 aid distribution centers and 28 food banks.
According to the Office, these bombings are “part of a systematic plan to impose a policy of famine as a tool of war against civilians.”
What is happening in the Strip is not a passing crisis, but rather war crimes, it asserted.
This week, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Strip, Adrian Zimmerman, described the living conditions in the territory as “hell on earth.”
Medical supplies could run out in a few weeks as a result of the border closures, the official warned in statements to the Qatari television station Al Jazeera.
The blockade increasingly undermined the capabilities of humanitarian organizations to carry out their mission, at a time when tens of thousands of people need medical treatment or essential services, he noted.
“Daily life in Gaza has become an endless mission of survival,” he lamented.
UN agencies also warned of the consequences of the lack of food and medicine there.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned of the serious deterioration of the situation, which is reflected in the increase in the number of children receiving treatment for malnutrition.
Mothers and children in Gaza face daily difficulties due to a severe shortage of basic supplies due to the total blockade imposed by Israel, OCHA said.
For its part, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA) condemned the closure of border crossings since March 2.
UNRWA estimated that 420,000 Palestinians have been displaced again in the Gaza Strip since the resumption of Israeli attacks on March 18. (Text and photo: PL)
