The United Nations said on Monday that its already dwindling reserve of fuel in the Gaza Strip would run out as soon as Tuesday, preventing the organization from receiving and distributing the desperately needed aid trickling in, and imperiling the only lifeline for the 2.2 million people in the coastal enclave.
The U.N.’s agency for aiding Palestinians, UNRWA, has been the main coordinator of humanitarian aid crossing into Gaza from Egypt since Israel placed Gaza under siege. Trucks carrying essential goods such as water, food, medicine and hygienic products go to U.N. warehouses in Gaza, where they are unloaded and distributed in other trucks by the U.N. and humanitarian agency partners, the U.N. said.
Andrea De Domenico, the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Palestinian territories, told reporters on Monday that as of Tuesday the U.N. will no longer have enough fuel to operate either the fork lifts that unload the goods or the trucks that distribute them.
As part of its offensive against Hamas, Israel has cut off electricity to Gaza and blocked the delivery of fuel, saying Hamas uses it for rocket attacks and has stockpiled fuel intended for civilians. More than one million Gazans have been displaced, and civilians are running perilously low on basic human necessities.
“Instead of a much-needed increase of this assistance, we have been informed by colleagues of UNRWA that, due to the lack of fuel, as of tomorrow the operations of receiving trucks will no longer be possible,” Mr. De Domenico said from Jerusalem.
A total of 980 trucks carrying essential aid have crossed into Gaza from Egypt, including 76 trucks on Sunday, Mr. De Domenico said. But the U.N. has said far more is needed. Before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, about 500 trucks of humanitarian aid crossed into Gaza daily.
The U.N. is worried that the fuel shortage could impede its humanitarian operations and the ability of hospitals, which rely on generators in the absence of power, to treat patients. Gaza’s main hospital, Al-Shifa, has reported that the lack of fuel was putting patients in intensive care at risk of dying and that premature babies were taken out of incubators that were now useless. Three babies and two cardiology patients had died as of Monday, according to Al-Shifa officials.
Al-Shifa’s critical infrastructure — including its water tanks, oxygen stations, maternity ward and cardiovascular facilities — was damaged by the fighting, Mr. De Domenico said. Three nurses were killed, he said.
The United Nations announced on Monday that their fuel reserve in the Gaza Strip would be depleted by Tuesday, hindering the receipt and distribution of essential aid. This poses a grave threat to the 2.2 million individuals in the coastal enclave who depend on this lifeline.
UNRWA, the U.N.’s agency for aiding Palestinians, has been the primary coordinator of humanitarian aid entering Gaza from Egypt since the Israeli-imposed siege. The organization revealed that trucks carrying vital supplies such as water, food, medicine, and hygiene products are delivered to U.N. warehouses in Gaza. From there, they are unloaded and distributed by the U.N. and their humanitarian agency partners.
Andrea De Domenico, the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Palestinian territories, informed reporters on Monday that the U.N. would no longer have sufficient fuel to operate the forklifts and trucks involved in the aid distribution process.
As part of their offensive against Hamas, Israel has cut off electricity to Gaza and blocked fuel delivery, alleging that Hamas uses it for rocket attacks and hoards it instead of distributing it to civilians. Over one million Gazans have been displaced, and the civilian population is facing severe shortages of basic necessities.
“Instead of the much-needed increase in assistance, our colleagues at UNRWA have informed us that, due to the lack of fuel, truck operations will no longer be possible starting tomorrow,” Mr. De Domenico stated from Jerusalem.
According to Mr. De Domenico, a total of 980 trucks carrying essential aid have entered Gaza from Egypt, including 76 trucks on Sunday. However, the U.N. has emphasized that much more aid is required. Prior to Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th, approximately 500 trucks of humanitarian aid were entering Gaza daily.
There is concern that the fuel shortage will hinder the U.N.’s humanitarian operations and the ability of hospitals, which rely on generators due to the power outage, to provide adequate medical care. Al-Shifa, Gaza’s main hospital, has reported that the lack of fuel is endangering patients in intensive care and has rendered incubators useless for premature babies. Al-Shifa officials have confirmed the deaths of three babies and two cardiology patients as of Monday.
Mr. De Domenico noted that Al-Shifa’s critical infrastructure, including water tanks, oxygen stations, the maternity ward, and cardiovascular facilities, sustained damage during the conflict. Three nurses were also killed.