Israel War Toll: Gaza Humanitarian Aid Collapsing, Says Red Cross
The humanitarian response in Gaza is on the verge of "total collapse", warned the Red Cross on Friday, two months after Israel blocked aid to the war-torn Palestinian territory.
"Without an immediate resumption of aid deliveries, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will not have access to the food, medicines, and life-saving supplies needed to sustain many of its programmes in Gaza," it said in a statement, reported AFP.
The inflows of all international aid vital for the 2.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are strictly controlled by Israel. The deliveries to Gaza were halted on March 2, days before Israel snapped the ceasefire that had significantly reduced hostilities after 15 months of war.
Since the start of the blockade, the United Nations has repeatedly sounded alarms of the
Humanitarian catastrophe on the ground, with famine again looming.
"Civilians in Gaza are facing an overwhelming daily struggle to survive the dangers of hostilities, cope with relentless displacement, and endure the consequences of being deprived of urgent humanitarian assistance," Pascal Hundt, ICRC Deputy Director of Operations said in Friday's statement.
'Israel Obliged To Ensure Aid'
"This situation must not —- and cannot -— be allowed to escalate further."
The ICRC also highlighted Israel's obligation under international humanitarian law "to use all means available to ensure that the basic needs of the civilian population under its control are met."
"If the blockage continues, programmes such as the ICRC common kitchens — which often provide the only meal people receive each day — will only be able to operate for a few more weeks," it warned.
Earlier, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said it had sent out its "last remaining food stocks" to kitchens a week ago.
The ICRC further emphasised that the dire situation in the besieged strip was compounded by repeated attacks impacting the work of healthcare facilities and personnel.
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