UN Fuel for Gaza is a matter of life and death

The United Nations warned that the rapid depletion of remaining fuel stocks “threatens efforts to maintain vital supplies to Gaza,” noting that Israeli authorities continue to restrict access to fuel in and throughout the Strip, “effectively choking off life-saving services for the deprived and hungry.”

This is what UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said during his daily press briefing on Wednesday, when he said that fuel for Gaza is “a matter of life and death.” He added that this deprivation is occurring while Israeli bombardment of the Strip continues to have a devastating impact on civilians, with dozens reportedly killed and injured, “many of whom were simply asking for help.”

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has confirmed that 80% of intensive care units, including those used for delivery, are at risk of closure – at a time when 130 women give birth every day in Gaza.

Mr. Dujarric noted that community kitchens have been able to prepare more than 200,000 meals per day. However, he stressed that this “represents an 80% decrease compared to the more than one million meals distributed daily at the end of April, so it is essentially a tiny amount being provided to people on the brink of starvation.”

Amid shortages of fuel, cooking gas, and electricity, Gaza residents are resorting to burning plastic waste, posing significant health risks, especially given the poor ventilation in temporary tents, according to the United Nations.