The humanitarian crisis has reached a critical point, with hospitals on the brink of collapse.
"In Gaza, lack of food, electricity, water. Supplies are urgently needed. We are preparing convoys of life-saving relief supplies once access is granted. These include medicine, medical supplies & household kits with chlorine tablets for drinking water," stated the ICRC in a press release.
United Nations officials have issued warnings, stating that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip are facing a "real catastrophe" as israel's heaviest bombardment of the occupied enclave continues for the 11th consecutive day.
The UN emphasized that "water remains a key issue as people will start dying without water," echoing concerns raised by the World Health Organization about the limited availability of water, electricity, and fuel in Gaza.
The 2 million residents of the besieged Strip are grappling with severe shortages, including limited access to water for drinking, bathing, and household use. Basic supplies, such as baby formula and flour, are in critically short supply, with supermarkets running out of stock.
"Concerns over dehydration and waterborne diseases are high given the collapse of water and sanitation services, including today’s shutdown of Gaza’s last functioning seawater desalination plant," reported the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. "Fuel reserves at all hospitals across Gaza are expected to last for an additional 24 hours only. The shutdown of backup generators would place the lives of thousands of patients at serious risk."
The death toll from israel's bombing campaign, which began on October 7, has surpassed 2,800 people, including at least 1,000 children, according to Palestinian officials. Additionally, approximately 10,000 others have been wounded, with many still trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings. The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza demands urgent attention and action to avert a larger catastrophe. (ILKHA)