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In Gaza City, Jonathan Whittall, Head of Office for the UN’s humanitarian coordination agency OCHA, delivered a grim assessment to journalists, describing life under a “total and complete blockade” nearing its third month.
“The next few days will be critical for Gaza. Right now, people are not surviving — those who aren’t killed by bombs and gunfire are slowly dying,” he said.
Whittall highlighted that humanitarian efforts are severely hampered by the collapse of supply lines. Overcrowded hospitals are rapidly running out of medicines and equipment. Food scarcity is rampant, with warehouses emptied and bakeries shuttering. Clean water is inaccessible as wells cannot be reached, worsening the already desperate situation.
He also pointed out that waste is piling up in the streets with no equipment available to clear it, and rescue operations after airstrikes are nearly impossible without fuel and heavy machinery. Families displaced by the conflict are living in rubble, and fishermen are being targeted at sea. Humanitarian groups, facing dwindling resources, are unable to meet the mounting needs. “There is no place safe in Gaza today,” Whittall emphasized.
Children’s education has also come to a halt, with schools destroyed or unreachable and no supplies available. Meanwhile, prices for the few remaining goods are skyrocketing, but cash is nonexistent. A lack of gas and fuel has forced families to burn trash just to generate minimal energy.
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A War “Without Limits”
“This crisis goes beyond humanitarian needs — it’s an assault on human dignity,” Whittall said.
He stressed that humanitarian workers, first responders, and journalists — who should be protected under international law — are among those being killed in what he described as a war “without any limits.”
According to Whittall, what is unfolding does not resemble conventional warfare. “Palestinians tell me they feel like their lives are being deliberately dismantled, right before the world’s eyes, documented daily by journalists,” he said.
He also detailed the daily horrors: children’s bodies strewn by explosions, families burnt alive, and aid workers killed — scenes he described as “everyday atrocities.”
Whittall further warned that humanitarian assistance is being “weaponized” through systematic denial. “There is no justification for withholding aid. Humanitarian relief should never be used as a weapon,” he said.
Despite catastrophic conditions, humanitarian organizations are still operating where possible, though supplies and capacity are shrinking rapidly.
“Lives depend on lifting the blockade, allowing aid to flow freely into Gaza, and reinstating a ceasefire,” he urged, calling for immediate accountability — not future judgments rendered through history.
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Hunger and Malnutrition on the Rise
In a separate statement, OCHA warned of a dramatic deterioration in food availability across Gaza, with malnutrition rates soaring, particularly among children.
A recent screening of around 1,300 children in northern Gaza found over 80 cases of acute malnutrition — more than double the rate seen in previous weeks.
OCHA reported that nutrition-focused organizations are facing critical shortfalls in supplies due to the ongoing blockade and challenges in transporting materials inside Gaza. Access to key facilities, including UNICEF’s main warehouse in Rafah, remains heavily restricted.
Journalists visiting UNRWA’s (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) main warehouses this week found them largely empty, including a critical shortage of staples like flour.
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Calls for Accountability and Immediate Action
UNRWA, in a separate statement, condemned the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, emphasizing that international law forbids indiscriminate attacks, the obstruction of humanitarian aid, and the destruction of essential civilian infrastructure.
The agency reiterated its demands: an urgent, renewed ceasefire; the release of all hostages; and the immediate, unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza.
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