UNRWA: Gaza's fuel shortage a new burden for Palestinians on the brink of starvation

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned that the fuel shortage in Gaza is placing "an unbearable new burden on Palestinians teetering on the brink of famine," and threatens a complete halt to UN relief operations amid the ongoing Israeli blockade of the Strip.

UNRWA highlighted, in a post on its X platform on Sunday, the contents of a joint UN statement confirming that fuel shortages in Gaza have reached critical levels, and without sufficient fuel, the Strip will face a collapse in humanitarian efforts.

The statement was issued Saturday evening by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Office for Project Services, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, and UNRWA.

UNRWA republished details of the statement, which emphasized that fuel is the "lifeblood" of the Gaza Strip, powering hospitals, water and sewage networks, ambulances, and all aspects of humanitarian operations.

He pointed out that "fuel supplies are essential to move the fleet transporting essential goods through the Strip, and to operate a network of bakeries that produce fresh bread for affected Palestinians, including the 2.1 million people who need these vital resources."

After nearly two years of war, Palestinians in Gaza face significant hardship, including widespread food insecurity, according to the same statement.

The statement continued: "When fuel runs out, it places a new and unbearable burden on Palestinians teetering on the brink of starvation."

The UN statement concluded by saying, "Without sufficient fuel, UN agencies responding to this crisis will likely be forced to halt their operations entirely. This means no health services, no clean water, and no ability to deliver aid."

Earlier today, municipalities in central and southern Gaza announced the suspension of essential services due to a complete cut in fuel supplies needed to operate water wells, sewage treatment plants, and waste collection vehicles, amid the ongoing Israeli blockade and Tel Aviv's war of extermination against the Strip.

This came in a joint statement issued by the municipalities of the Middle Governorate and the Solid Waste Management Council of the local authorities in the governorates of Rafah, Khan Yunis, and the Middle Governorate.

Gaza's health system is also suffering from a complete collapse due to the deliberate Israeli targeting of the remaining hospitals and health centers operating in the Strip, on the one hand, and the shutdown of the remaining hospitals and medical centers due to the worsening fuel crisis resulting from the Israeli closure of the crossings since last March.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a war of genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.

The genocide, backed by the United States, left more than 196,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and a famine that claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.