UN: Gaza faces unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe

SANAA, Feb. 2 (YPA) – The United Nations warned on Thursday that the Gaza Strip is still facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations has called on international donors to “provide ongoing support to the people of Gaza, where $ 148 million will be needed to be used in cash, as opposed to working within the Strip in 2019.”
This came at a press conference held by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s spokesman, Stephen Dugrick, at the UN headquarters in New York.
Dugrick said “According to the latest humanitarian report, Gaza Strip continues to face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as its health system struggles to cope with a large number of injuries caused by months of demonstrations along the fence in 2018, where 180 Palestinians killed and more than 23, 330 wounded. ”
“Besides the lack of medical supplies, the health system is facing serious energy concerns, with health services in some hospitals and clinics being disrupted at the end of December 2018. The proportion of essential medicines has reached the level of zero stocks,” according to Anatolia agency.

The drug cone only covers a 42 percent barrier (only one month), Dugrick added.
He said,”The humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories, Jimmy McGoldrick, welcomed Qatar’s $ 20 million contribution to cash-for-work programs in Gaza. The United Nations hopes this will help ease some of the immediate turmoil, according to the Palestinian Information Center.
Dugrick also called for continued support for the people of Gaza, where another $ 148 million would be needed to fund cash for work in 2019.
Gaza has been subject to a land, sea and air blockade by the Israeli occupation since 2006, while the Palestinian Authority imposed a series of collective punishment escalating since April 2017 exacerbated the humanitarian situation.

Sameera Hassn