UN warns of 'degrading' conditions in Gaza Strip: 'There's no humanity left here'

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) — The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Monday issued a warning over the "degrading" conditions for people across the Gaza Strip, describing the situation on the ground as "catastrophic."

"We are in the middle area of the Gaza Strip, and to describe the situation here, it's just catastrophic. The last couple of weeks we have had relentless forced displacement orders in the middle area, in the southern area, and also in northern Gaza Strip," Louise Wateridge, senior communications officer UNRWA, told reporters during a virtual news conference.

She emphasized the overwhelming sense of hopelessness among the people, stating, "People have nowhere to go. There is nowhere to find safety."

Wateridge said aid operations were being hampered by continuous evacuation orders by the Israeli military and added that the "humanitarian response here is being completely strangled and limited our ability of what we can do."

Describing the situation in Gaza as "unprecedented," she highlighted the pervasive fear and lack of basic necessities, such as soap.

"Bars of soap are increasingly difficult to find," she noted, emphasizing the dire state of hygiene.

Despite sharing the coordinates of UNRWA's staff with Israeli authorities on a daily basis to provide them "some kind of safety," Wateridge said the agency's aid efforts have been "incredibly difficult."

She pointed to the emotional toll on the population and noted that many were "waiting for death" and find solace only in staying close to their families.

"There's no humanity left here. It's very degrading for the population," she said.

- Resurgence of polio

Sam Rose, senior deputy field director for UNRWA in Gaza, added that the humanitarian zone had been reduced to just 11% of Gaza's total area, much of which is unfit for living.

"We've seen a slew of evacuation orders over the first weeks of August, with a couple of hundred thousand people on the move yet again," he said.

He described the environment as a "perfect storm of conditions" that has led to a resurgence of polio and other health crises.

"Malnourished children are decimated," he said, "and people are living amid garbage and lakes of sewage."

Rose called for humanitarian pauses to facilitate vaccination efforts, crucial for combating the spread of polio.

"We estimate that 640,000 children will be vaccinated, with up to 40% receiving their vaccines from UNRWA," he added.

Noting that the success of polio vaccination campaign will "depend very much on the condition on the ground," Rose said: "We estimate around 95% of children need to receive the vaccines for the campaign to be a success."

Echoing Wateridge's sentiment, Rose emphasized the extreme dehumanization faced by Gazans: "The degradation, the humiliation, the fear, the violence that impacts on every aspect of their lives and their being."

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,400 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,400 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.