UNRWA warns of critical health care shortages in Gaza

The UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) yesterday issued a stark warning about the urgent need for health care in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reported.

Severe shortages of essential medicines and fuel are hampering life-saving operations in the region, it said.

“People in Gaza desperately need healthcare. Only a fraction of UNRWA health centres are operational,” the agency said on X.

“Safe and sustained aid access can’t wait any longer,” it added.

People in #Gaza desperately need healthcare. Only a fraction of @UNRWA health centres are operational.

Our teams in Nuseirat continue to serve families, but a severe shortage of medicine & fuel is hampering lifesaving operations. Safe & sustained aid access can’t wait any longer pic.twitter.com/p1W5AagO0j

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) June 27, 2024

The agency also noted that its teams in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, continue to serve families, “but a severe shortage of medicine and fuel is hampering lifesaving operations.”

UNRWA has suffered a funding shortfall as a result of the US, UK and other Western nations cutting donations to the agency following baseless allegations made by Israel that its staff had taken part in attacks against the occupation state.

In spite of numerous reports discrediting the Israeli claims, the US and UK have yet to reinstate funding.

Israel has repeatedly equated UNRWA staff with Hamas members in efforts to discredit them, providing no proof of the claims, while lobbying hard to have UNRWA closed as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees. If the agency no longer exists, argues Israel, then the refugee issue must no longer exist, and the legitimate right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land will be unnecessary. Israel has denied that right of return since the late 1940s, even though its own membership of the UN was made conditional upon Palestinian refugees being allowed to return to their homes and land.

In addition to issues with funding, the agency is struggling to provide for Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip as Israel has closed all crossings into the enclave and is limiting aid deliveries, allowing almost none in to the northern areas of the Strip.

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