The humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening, with infrastructure collapsing and alarming warnings from international organizations.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was facilitating the return of bodies from both sides of the Gaza conflict, but described the process as a “very difficult challenge.”
In a separate statement, the Red Cross warned that critical infrastructure, including water, sanitation and electricity, in the Gaza Strip had either completely collapsed or was on the verge of collapse.
The World Health Organization reported that more than 15,600 patients in the Gaza Strip needed urgent medical evacuation, and the humanitarian situation in the area was critical.
The organization also stressed the need to strengthen surveillance and control of communicable diseases and called for the reopening of medical crossings to transport patients out of Gaza.
The World Health Organization said that more than 15,000 people had been maimed during the ongoing conflict and were in urgent need of rehabilitation and medical care.
Thess Ingram, a spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), also said in an interview with Al Jazeera: “Our teams are active throughout the Gaza Strip and the distribution of aid is continuing in different areas.”
She added that in the current situation, children must be provided with temporary shelter and blankets. Although aid has been allowed to enter since May, there are still restrictions that prevent the rapid and widespread arrival of aid.
The UNICEF representative finally called for an increase in the flow of humanitarian aid and the full opening of crossings to the Gaza Strip.
The International Committee of the Red Cross also called on all parties and mediators to ensure the full and strict implementation of the agreement on the exchange of victims’ bodies so that the bodies can be returned to their families as soon as possible.
The Zionist regime launched the war against the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, with two main goals: to destroy the Hamas movement and return the Zionist prisoners from the region, but it failed to achieve these goals and was forced to reach an agreement with the Hamas movement to exchange prisoners.