27 NGOs denounce the continued obstruction of humanitarian access by Israeli forces, while the humanitarian crisis is escalating and the population is threatened with serious diseases
The suffocating situation in Gaza is being documented by 27 NGOs working in the field, in a humanitarian aid operation that is being obstructed by Israel, putting the lives and safety of their members at risk, while hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are deprived of basic supplies and services, and public health is threatened by infectious diseases.
According to the organizations, as of August 12, a total of 39,897 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and 92,152 have been recorded as injured, while many remain missing under the rubble. With no place to flee, Palestinians face widespread attacks across the enclave. And while children around the world are preparing for the new school year, as of 6 July, 477 out of 564 schools in Gaza have been directly affected or extensively damaged.
It is significant that: “People are volunteering to donate blood to save the lives of those who are injured, but we have to turn them away because they are too malnourished and medically unfit to donate blood,” according to the Deputy Director of Al Awda Hospital in Gaza. Meanwhile, Solidarités International explains: “Water desalination units and their spare parts, generators, pump, solar panel, chlorine are essential to increase the provision of safe and sufficient drinking water and must be allowed to enter Gaza. Clean water is essential for survival. The population is forced to drink highly saline or polluted water, leading to widespread waterborne diseases.”
Threat of communicable diseases
Médecins du Monde highlights that the contamination of water, shortages in medication, and the decimation of the health and sanitation systems are driving widespread disease and exhausting the immune systems of vulnerable groups, while the lack of fresh food and clean water has led to malnutrition and the spread of communicable diseases.
The Health Cluster is preparing for a potential polio outbreak given the detection of the virus in sewage samples and the decline in vaccination coverage from 99% in 2022 to 89% in 2023: “We’ve already seen a spike in skin diseases like scabies, as well as hepatitis, and gastrointestinal diseases in children. Members of the Health Cluster are preparing for the worst-case scenario of a polio outbreak in the coming weeks. While there have been no recorded cases so far, we know that doctors could be missing the warning signs given the decimation of the healthcare system and the outbreak of many different communicable diseases,” CARE notes.
Call to action
The organizations state: “As humanitarian actors, our presence in Gaza is possible thanks to the unwavering commitment of our colleagues on the ground despite great risks to their own lives. Our continued presence should not be mistaken for an indication of unimpeded access. We operate at great risk, and under significant impediments to our access. The risks our colleagues are exposed to each moment are unacceptable and contrary to their protections under international law. In Gaza, we are not witnessing a ‘shrinking’ humanitarian space; there is barely any space left to operate at all. We, the undersigned NGOs, continue to call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and maintain it is the only way to provide humanitarian assistance and protect and save lives in Gaza. We also call on all States to immediately halt the transfer of weapons, parts, and ammunition to Israel and Palestinian armed groups while there is a risk they are used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law.”