△ Gaza Strip (Archive Photo)
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on the 24th that despite some aid food items, such as flour, entering Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Tzipiqim ports, the overall assistance is far from sufficient. Amidst the ongoing conflict, residents of Gaza are facing death, hunger, displacement, and psychological trauma.
Humanitarian agencies have noted a significant increase in the number of children suffering from malnutrition in Gaza. In the first two weeks of July, among 56,000 five-year-olds screened in Gaza, Derbalah, and Khan Yunis, nearly 5,000 were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, a proportion that rose from 2.4% in February to 9%. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East stated that one-fifth of children in Gaza are malnourished. Meanwhile, humanitarian operations have frequently been hindered, with only eight out of sixteen coordinated actions approved in July 23rd, and attempts to recover critical medical supplies also being rejected. The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.