UN: Gaza residents still risking their lives to get food

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that people in Gaza are still risking their lives to get enough food and other essential supplies, as Israeli attacks continue and hunger worsens.

In its latest update on Wednesday, OCHA said “Just this morning, there were reports of dozens of people were killed or injured at one of the Israeli-militarised hubs.”

The agency added that, over the past week, serious injuries continued to be reported among people seeking aid. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) noted that a 21-year-old man was left permanently paralysed after being shot while trying to get a bag of flour from one of these militarised hubs.

OCHA also warned that months of intensified Israeli military action have made life even harder for the most vulnerable people — including the elderly and those with disabilities — who are struggling to get what they need to survive and become even more isolated.

According to a survey by a humanitarian partner organisation, OCHA warned, “More than 80 per cent of people with disabilities in Gaza have lost wheelchairs, hearing aids, walkers and other supportive devices.”  The UN body went on to alert that, “With their mobility restricted, vulnerable people are having to endure many challenges, including the denial of access to humanitarian aid, discrimination, stigmatisation, and exposure to explosive ordnance.”

READ: ‘Engineered’ malnutrition: UN agency chief warns about deepening child hunger crisis in Gaza