By Merve Aydogan
HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Tuesday highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in parts of the northern Gaza Strip, where residents have been left "with virtually no assistance for more than 40 days."
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference "that people in besieged areas of North Gaza have been struggling to stay alive.”
Saying that aid delivery by the UN to areas such as Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and parts of Jabalya remain blocked, Dujarric said: "This month alone, 27 out of the 31 planned missions were rejected, and the other four were severely impeded, meaning they were prevented from accomplishing all of the critical work they set out to do."
"To be clear, all attempts by the UN to support people in besieged areas in North Gaza have been denied or impeded," he said.
Dujarric noted the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) famine review committee's recent warning that said, "Parts of northern Gaza face an imminent risk of famine – and that immediate action is needed in days, not weeks."
"The result is that bakeries and kitchens in North Gaza governorate have shut down, nutrition support has been suspended and the refueling of water and sanitation facilities has been completely blocked," said Dujarric.
Noting that the UN's attempts to scale up emergency health care have also been thwarted by Israel, Dujarric said: "On Sunday, OCHA supported a mission led by the World Health Organization to the Kamal Adwan Hospital."
The mission delivered 10,000 liters of fuel and transferred 17 patients and about two dozen caregivers to the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, but Dujarric said the mission was able to deliver "only some of the medical supplies" to the Kamal Adwan Hospital as the Israeli army forced UN personnel to offload at a checkpoint.
- UN 'deeply concerned' about reported killings of alleged looters in Gaza
Dujarric expressed concern about reported killings of alleged looters in Gaza. "Armed looting has become systematic and must end immediately,” he said.
Saying that armed looting hinders "life-saving aid operations and further endangering the lives of our staff," he said that "the use of force in law enforcement operations must be lawful, necessary and proportionate."
Emphasizing the need to open additional entry points into Gaza and expand the use of internal routes, Dujarric noted that "both of these steps require action by the Israeli authorities."
He added that Israel, as the occupying power, holds "the primary responsibility for restoring public order and safety," which could include enabling civilian police in Gaza to operate under lawful standards.
Asked about a report that said that looters "may be benefiting from a passive if not active benevolence" or "protection" from the Israeli army, Dujarric said the "idea" of it "is frankly fairly alarming."