UN warns Gaza’s last humanitarian lifelines are collapsing

United Nations: The United Nations has issued a stark warning over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, describing the situation as the collapse of "the last lifelines keeping people alive."

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), continued hostilities have devastated aid infrastructure, UN aid depots were destroyed, relief workers' residences and the hungry seeking food were fired on, and some starving people were reportedly collapsing in the streets, Xinhua news agency reported.

Local health authorities said more than a dozen children and adults have died from hunger in the past 24 hours alone. Hospitals have also reported a surge in patients suffering from extreme exhaustion and malnutrition.

“This is on top of continued reports of people being shot, killed or injured while simply trying to find food -- food that is only being allowed into Gaza in quantities that are far too small,” OCHA stated.

The humanitarian office noted that Gaza’s hospitals are overwhelmed, with some reporting a severe shortage of intravenous fluids. Fuel shortages have also put critical facilities, including the Nasser Medical Complex and the oxygen unit that serves hospitals in southern Gaza, at risk of shutting down.

UN facilities in Deir al-Balah have been struck despite their coordinates being shared with the parties to the conflict, the agency said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that one of its warehouses located within the evacuation zone was destroyed, and a facility housing staff and their families was attacked. The WHO condemned the strikes, calling them part of a broader pattern of systematic destruction of healthcare services. It also demanded protection for its personnel and the immediate release of a staff member who has been detained.

Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), confirmed that UNOPS premises in Deir al-Balah were also hit, damaging the structure, cutting power from both the generator and solar panels, and leaving the site without running water. He noted that the same facility had been hit by tank fire in March, resulting in the death of a staff member.

Due to ongoing bombardment and damage to communication lines, OCHA said teams tracking population movements have been unable to report on the families displaced from Deir al-Balah. Some were newly displaced, while others fled heavy shelling amid communication blackouts.

OCHA estimates that 88 per cent of Gaza is either under evacuation orders or within Israeli-declared military zones. The remaining 12 per cent of land is already overcrowded and severely underserved.

Despite the deteriorating conditions, the UN’s humanitarian operations hub remains active in Deir al-Balah, with staff distributed across dozens of premises. All locations have had their coordinates shared with relevant parties in an effort to ensure safety.