Joyce Msuya, the Acting UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, updated ambassadors on the deteriorating situation in northern Gaza, where hostilities have intensified significantly.
Critical Shortages and Casualties
Hospitals are facing severe shortages of fuel and essential medical supplies, while food reserves are rapidly depleting. Ms. Msuya reported that since her last briefing just a week ago, the civilian population in Gaza has experienced multiple devastating incidents due to Israeli airstrikes, resulting in nearly 400 fatalities and almost 1,500 injuries.
Disturbing images have emerged of patients and displaced individuals near Al Aqsa Hospital, some tragically burning alive, while many others are suffering from severe burn injuries. Additionally, a recent strike on a school being used as a shelter in Nuseirat resulted in more than 20 casualties.
Displacement and Trauma
Ms. Msuya highlighted the intensifying Israeli military operations in the north, with heavy fighting reported in and around the besieged Jabaliya region, alongside indiscriminate rocket fire from Palestinian armed groups targeting Israel. It is estimated that around 55,000 people have been displaced from Jabaliya, while others remain trapped in their homes with dwindling food and water supplies.
She described a recent tragedy where 13 members of one family lost their lives after rescue workers were once again blocked from reaching the injured trapped beneath the rubble. “The images coming from the camp depict a traumatized community fleeing for their lives, with no safe refuge available,” she remarked.
Concerns for Vulnerable Populations
Only three of the ten hospitals in the North Gaza Governorate are currently operational, and they are functioning at minimal capacity, facing severe shortages of fuel, blood, trauma care, and medications. Ms. Msuya expressed particular concern for the 155,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza, who are enduring harrowing childbirth experiences without adequate medical support.
“There is no antenatal care, no medications, and hunger is pervasive,” she stated. “Approximately 11,000 pregnant women are experiencing hunger and malnutrition, jeopardizing not only their health but also that of their newborns.”
Humanitarian Assistance Efforts
On October 12, after nine attempts, a UN inter-agency team, along with representatives from an international NGO and the Palestine Red Crescent Society, successfully reached the Kamal Adwan and Al-Sahaba hospitals in northern Gaza. They managed to transfer over a dozen critically ill patients from Kamal Adwan to Al-Shifa Hospital and provided additional patients, previously transferred from Al-Awda Hospital, with the same care.
The team also delivered fuel to keep Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda operational, as well as blood units to Al-Sahaba Hospital. However, Ms. Msuya stressed that humanitarian aid cannot be delivered in isolated instances; sustained support is essential.
