The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has continued to worsen as more than one million people have reportedly been displaced since the terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals — the overwhelming number of whom were civilians — and kidnapping more than 100 people and transporting them into Gaza.
While there have been reports that the water supply has been restored in the Hamas-controlled territory, Gaza’s Interior Ministry claimed no water had arrived in the enclave for at least 10 days, according to The New York Times.
Due to the water insecurity throughout Gaza, the UN says officials have “serious concerns over the spread of waterborne diseases” from people drinking from agricultural wells.
Such concerns prompted UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths to remark that getting Gazans access to aid was the organization’s “overwhelming priority” moving forward.
The UN, according to Griffiths, is currently involved in “deep discussions” with regional stakeholders about how additional aid can be sent to those in need.
Griffiths argued that the “United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the Arab world all have obligations” to assist those affected by the ongoing crisis.
“Make sure they get the aid they need and make sure that there are corridors which allow them some respite from the relentless attacks that are happening upon them,” he said, per a UN news release.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres released a statement on Sunday, warning that “Gaza is running out of water, electricity, and other essential supplies.”
“The United Nations has stocks available of food, water, non-food items, medical supplies, and fuel, located in Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel. These goods can be dispatched within hours,” he added.
Dozens of trucks filled with supplies have reportedly been stopped at the southern border since Israel has not allowed humanitarian aid to be transported into Gaza, according to The Wall Street Journal.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated on Saturday that the United States was committed to helping Israel while also providing supplies to Palestinian civilians in need.
“As Israel pursues its legitimate right to defend its people and to try to ensure that this never happens again, it is vitally important that all of us look out for civilians,” said Blinken, per The Guardian.
“We’re working together to do exactly that, in particular working on establishing safe areas in Gaza, working on establishing corridors so that humanitarian assistance can reach people who need it,” he added.
