Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, briefed the Security Council on Wednesday about the dire situation in the region.

Msuya reported that Gaza's hospitals are running out of fuel and critical medical supplies, with food stocks also dwindling. She highlighted that the past week has seen multiple mass casualty incidents due to Israeli airstrikes, resulting in nearly 400 deaths and approximately 1,500 injuries.

Particularly harrowing were the images of patients and displaced persons burning alive near Al Aqsa hospital, and more than 20 people killed and injured in a strike on a school serving as a shelter in Nuseirat.

With Israel’s military offensive intensifying, especially in the north, heavy fighting around Jabaliya continues. Estimates suggest 55,000 people have been displaced from Jabaliya, while many remain stranded with dwindling water and food supplies. Among the tragic incidents reported was the death of 13 family members, with rescue workers unable to reach the wounded trapped under rubble.

The humanitarian situation is compounded by severe shortages in the three operational hospitals in North Gaza, affecting 155,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women. Msuya underscored the lack of antenatal care, medication, and the malnutrition affecting 11,000 pregnant women.

Despite these challenges, an inter-agency team managed to deliver fuel and transfer critical patients to hospitals after multiple attempts. The team faced significant obstacles, including humiliating treatment at checkpoints.

Food aid remains a critical issue, with stocks nearly exhausted and most bakeries facing imminent shutdown due to fuel shortages. Msuya emphasized the need for continuous distributions to support the displaced population in Gaza City.

Msuya called the limited humanitarian access "unconscionable," noting that only one out of 54 coordinated movements was facilitated by Israel, with most attempts denied or impeded. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Kamal Adwan hospital is overwhelmed with new patients each day.

Amidst the turmoil, humanitarians have launched a second phase of a mass polio vaccination campaign, reaching nearly 157,000 children. Msuya stressed the importance of respecting humanitarian pauses to ensure vaccine access for all children in need. (ILKHA)