NEW YORK: The United Nations warned on Wednesday against the dire humanitarian catastrophe faced by the people in Gaza saying that majority of Palestinians lack access to clean drinking water.
Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, echoing calls from humanitarian workers said urgent action is required to address the public health catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.
According to the UN, only one pipeline that provides water to Gaza from Israel is operational and is being operated under half of its capacity.
Meanwhile, more than 80 percent of water wells in Gaza are not functional and no wastewater treatment facilities are working.
The UN has halted its food assistance in north of Gaza due to alleged unsafe distributions pushing Palestinians close to starvation.
Last year, the UN said its food agency had to cut its global food assistance due to shortage of funds.
Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) has said that an Israeli raid at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis city in southern Gaza has killed eight patients.
UNRWA, in a statement, said there are about 10,000 people in the medical facility, including 300 medical staff.
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza has said that at least 29,313 people have been killed in the besieged enclave during Israel’s war on Gaza.
A statement said a total of 118 people were killed in the past 24 hours, while another 69,333 have been injured since the war started on October 7.
