GAZA: The United Nations reported Saturday an outbreak of hepatitis among Palestinian refugees in Gaza’s shelter centres amid the ongoing conflict between Israeli and Hamas.
Xinhua news agency reported The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement that the outbreak of hepatitis had been reported in the shelters operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
The statement noted that there has been no improvement in the residents’ access to household and drinking water in Gaza City and its northern regions, as most of the water production facilities remain closed due to fuel shortages, while some are also damaged.
Water primarily comes from small private wells and UNRWA wells, raising serious concerns about waterborne diseases due to water consumption from unsafe sources, it added.
Healthcare System Collapsed
The World Health Organisation has also underlined the urgent need for protection, food, clean water, shelter, sanitation, and medicine for civilians in Gaza, warning that overcrowding resulting from mass displacement and unsafe living conditions increases the risk of disease.
Munir al-Bursh, an official with the Gaza-based Health Ministry, said the healthcare system in the Strip is experiencing a comprehensive collapse due to severe shortages of medical resources and life-saving equipment.
According to him, 26 hospitals and 55 health centres in the Gaza Strip have been closed due to Israeli attacks.
A total of 15,207 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since Oct 7. Number of those reported missing has risen to over 7,500, either trapped under the rubble or with unknown fates, while the count of injuries has reached 40,650.
100,000 Bombs and Rockets Dropped On Gaza
Government Media Officer Director in Gaza Ismael Al-Thawabteh told a news conference on Saturday that Israel has attacked the war-torn enclave with approximately 100,000 bombs and rockets since Oct 7.
He said that some of the bombs weigh 2,000 pounds “with the deliberate and brutal intention of targeting civilians”.
Al-Thawabteh also condemned the restrictive policies preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, calling for the daily entry of a thousand trucks carrying genuine aid and supplies and 1 million litres of fuel to salvage whatever can be saved from the deadly conflict, according to Xinhua.
He urged the entry of hundreds of pieces of equipment and machinery for relief, emergency response teams, and civil defense to retrieve hundreds of corpses still buried under rubble.
“These are necessary to clear the debris resulting from the bombing and destruction of hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, hospitals, streets, and critical facilities,“ stressed Al-Thawabteh. –Bernama-Xinhua
