OCHA: Gaza’s needs far exceed aid capacity amid worsening crisis

The OCHA has warned that humanitarian needs in Gaza far exceed the capacity of aid organizations, as severe restrictions and ongoing obstacles continue to hinder relief efforts.

In a statement issued Tuesday, OCHA said that UNICEF and its partners managed to partially restore access to clean water in southern Gaza after an Israeli airstrike on March 25 reduced the capacity of a seawater desalination plant to less than 20 percent of its normal output.

As a result, around 500,000 people in Deir al-Balah and al-Mawasi in Khan Younis have been left without adequate access to drinking water, despite efforts by the United Nations to supply water through trucking.

OCHA stressed the urgent need to facilitate humanitarian operations, including allowing the entry of greater quantities of essential supplies into the Gaza Strip through available crossings.

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The agency warned that the situation is being driven by the near-total collapse of basic services, particularly water, sanitation, and hygiene systems.

Water scarcity, combined with limited resources for cleaning and disinfection, is making it difficult to maintain even minimal hygiene standards, significantly increasing the risk of disease outbreaks in overcrowded areas hosting displaced people, the wounded, and the sick.

OCHA described the situation as unprecedented, with overlapping health, environmental, and humanitarian crises unfolding simultaneously, while response efforts remain insufficient relative to the scale of the disaster.

The accumulation of waste around homes and shelters, alongside the spread of sewage and rubble, is turning large parts of Gaza into uninhabitable environments, creating conditions conducive to the spread of insects, pests, and disease.

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