Fears Of Worsening Humanitarian Disaster In Gaza As Fuel Runs Short

UN agency warns relief lifeline’ will halt unless fresh supplies arrive

- Rory Carroll, Hazem Balousha 

Relief efforts in Gaza will be forced to stop unless fuel supplies reach the besieged territory, the main UN agency working there has warned.

Hospitals, bakeries and water pumps may also cease to function, compounding a humanitarian crisis that is worsening by the hour, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said. “We need to find a solution to the fuel – otherwise our aid operation will come to a stop.”

Oxfam accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war against civilians, saying Gaza was receiving just 2% of its usual supply of food. “The situation is nothing short of horrific – where is humanity?” said Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam’s regional Middle East director .

Nearly 600,000 people displaced from their homes by Israeli bombardments are sheltering in 150 UNRWA facilities that are four times over their capacity, leaving people to sleep on the streets.

Winding down relief would eliminate a “lifeline” for civilians, Juliette Touma, the agency’s director of communications , told CNN.

Without fuel, water cannot be pumped or desalinated, leaving people to drink dirty water. Fuel is also needed for hospital generators, and scarcity has already forced six hospitals to shut. The population of 2.3 million is estimated to need at least 160,000 litres of fuel a day.

The warnings were issued as the continuing air strikes pushed the total death toll in Gaza since the 7 October Hamas attacks beyond 6,500, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.