A girl walks on a street during a rainy day in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb 2, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
UNITED NATIONS/GENEVA - The United Nations is cautioning against a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza due to dwindling donor support, a spokesperson said Friday.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, highlighted a critical situation at the regular press briefing, citing a statement from Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
Lazzarini expressed grave concerns over the "colossal humanitarian needs of over 2 million people in Gaza," which are at risk of worsening after 16 donor countries ceased their financial contributions to the agency.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is escalating, with "thousands of Palestinians continue fleeing to the southern town of Rafah," now home to "half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people," who are living in "makeshift structures, tents, or out in the open," as per UNRWA's reports
He emphasized the secretary-general's appeal for the resumption of funding to UNRWA, stating "if the funding remains suspended, the agency will most likely be forced to shut down operations by the end of February -- not only in Gaza but across the region."
ALSO READ: Gaza peace elusive amid Israeli actions
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is escalating, with "thousands of Palestinians continue fleeing to the southern town of Rafah," now home to "half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people," who are living in "makeshift structures, tents, or out in the open," as per UNRWA's reports.
Additionally, UNICEF has raised alarms over the welfare of children in the region, estimating "at least 17,000 children in the Gaza Strip are unaccompanied or separated from their families," which is "1 percent of the overall displaced population of 1.7 million people."
The psychological toll of the conflict on children is profound, with UNICEF estimating that "almost all children in the Gaza Strip need some sort of mental health or psychosocial support -- that's more than 1 million children."
ALSO READ: Gaza health ministry warns of massive deaths in hospitals
Despite efforts to provide aid, "UNICEF and its partners have provided this kind of support to more than 40,000 children and 10,000 caregivers," which Dujarric notes is "far from sufficient."
The spokesperson underscored that "the only way to deliver these services at scale is with a humanitarian ceasefire," highlighting the urgent need for renewed support and peace efforts to address the humanitarian crisis.
Also on Friday, the World Health Organization said on Friday over 100,000 Gazans are injured, missing or presumed dead as the situation deteriorates in the enclave. The figure makes up 4.3 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million population.
Speaking to a United Nations weekly briefing via video link from Jerusalem, Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, said the rest of the population faces dire circumstances, struggling to secure their basic needs of safety, food, health and warmth.
Central Gaza is witnessing an escalation of hostilities, further crippling access to existing health facilities, he said.
Expressing deep concern over the lack of sustained access to hospitals for both patients and health workers, Peeperkorn said only 13 out of the 36 hospitals were partially functioning in Gaza, and merely 13 of the 73 primary healthcare centers were operational.