Situation in Gaza ‘beyond catastrophic’: UN Population Fund

By Merve Aydogan

TORONTO, Canada (AA) - The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on Friday said that the situation in the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza is “beyond catastrophic.”

"What we see in Gaza is that it's a nightmare, which is much more than a humanitarian crisis. It is a crisis of humanity, and the situation is beyond catastrophic," UNFPA's Representative for Palestine Dominic Allen said during a virtual briefing about his latest visit to the Gaza Strip.

Stressing that aside from violence on the ground, disinformation and narrative also pose a significant problem.

"Having left Gaza this week, I can assure you that it's worse than I can describe or that the pictures can show or that you can imagine," he said.

Expressing great fear and concern for 1 million women and girls, Allen said that it is impossible to even describe the scenes in Gaza, emphasizing that people are hungry and in “very difficult” circumstances.

He continued to describe the dire situation, particularly in north of Gaza, where people are fighting a daily battle for survival.

"Fear is just everywhere in Gaza, but especially for these pregnant women," he said, adding that stillbirths have become more common.

"That's why the doctors and the midwives that I spoke to, they call for a humanitarian cease-fire," he said.

Recalling that 70% of those killed in Gaza are women and children, Allen said: "Those mothers should be wrapping their arms around their children, those children should not be wrapped in body bags.”

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which 1,163 people were killed.

At least 31,490 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and 73,439 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.