A person in charge of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that this is a “public health disaster” looming in Gaza due to overcrowding, mass displacement and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure.
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier warned about this. The danger of civilian deaths is not directly related to Israeli bombings.
“This is an impending public health disaster that threatens mass displacement, overcrowding and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure,” Lindmeier told reporters.
Health officials in Gaza say more than 8,300 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began airstrikes on the Hamas-run enclave in response to the October 7 attacks, when Hamas killed 1,400 people in Israel and took more than 200 hostages.
The Israeli army began ground operations in Gaza last week.
When asked whether people would die from other complications, Lindmeier replied: “That is indeed the case.”
A spokesperson for the UN children’s agency warned of the risk of child deaths due to dehydration of just 5% of the normally available water supply.
“That is why infant deaths occur due to dehydration. They are a growing threat,” he said, adding that children were becoming ill from drinking salt water.
About 940 children are missing in Gaza, he said, and some are believed to be trapped under rubble.
The UN humanitarian agency said in a statement on Tuesday that water supplies to the southern Gaza Strip were interrupted on October 30 “for unknown reasons”.
Lindmeier demanded permission to import fuel into Gaza to enable the operation of a desalination plant. Israel blockaded the Gaza Strip and refused to allow shipments of fuel that Hamas could use for military purposes.
(With information from Reuters)
Source: La Neta Neta
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
