GENEVA: On the 19th day of relentless Israeli air and artillery strikes and amidst a nearly complete blockade of Gaza, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has issued a dire warning: it is on the brink of halting its operations due to a severe shortage of fuel.
The agency, which provides crucial aid to 600,000 displaced Palestinians in Gaza, has stated that without urgent fuel supplies, their ability to continue operations will cease by the end of the day.
Gaza, already grappling with the aftermath of intense Israeli air strikes and a collapsing infrastructure, faces an increasingly desperate situation. Many families have been forced to sleep in the open, lacking adequate shelter and basic necessities. The potential halt in UNRWA operations exacerbates an already critical humanitarian crisis in the region.
Consequences of Fuel Shortage in Gaza
Aid organizations have emphasized the life-threatening consequences if medical facilities, water desalination plants, and ambulances cease to function. With the Gaza power plant offline for weeks, hospitals are already overwhelmed, treating patients on floors due to the sheer volume of casualties caused by the bombings.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has issued a grim warning: once generators in hospitals stop running, these vital medical facilities could effectively “turn into morgues,” underscoring the urgent need for a continuous power supply.
