The average Palestinian in Gaza is living on 2 pieces of bread a day, UN official says

According to a United Nations official, the harsh reality for the average individual in Gaza is survival on a mere two pieces of Arabic bread daily—a stark illustration of the escalating humanitarian crisis. These bread rations come from supplies pre-positioned by the United Nations in the enclave, overshadowed now by the critical scarcity of water echoing through the streets, as reported by the Gaza Director for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Thomas White, having conducted extensive travels throughout Gaza recently, painted a grim portrait of the region, marred by devastation and peril, where no location can assure safety. The populace is engulfed by trepidation over their well-being, their future, and the grim prospect of sustaining their families.

To address the crisis, UNRWA has extended support to approximately 89 bakeries across Gaza, with the objective of distributing bread to around 1.7 million inhabitants. This endeavor was outlined by White in a video conference to diplomats from the full spectrum of the U.N.’s 193 member states.

The pressing need for water has transcended the urgent demand for bread, as White underscored. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that the quest for potable water has become paramount.

Lynn Hastings, the U.N. Deputy Middle East Coordinator and the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian territories, noted the severity of the water crisis, with only a third of the water supply conduits from Israel remaining operational.

Hastings revealed that the populace is left with no choice but to rely on brackish or saline groundwater for consumption. This bleak scenario was part of the briefing which also featured comments from U.N. Humanitarian Chief Martin Griffiths, who mentioned ongoing intense negotiations involving Israeli, Egyptian, American, and United Nations authorities to facilitate the entry of fuel into Gaza.

Griffiths emphasized the critical nature of fuel for vital functions such as medical care, water, and electricity distribution, advocating for consistent and reliable supply channels into Gaza.

Highlighting another dire consequence, Hastings mentioned the imminent shutdown of backup generators across essential institutions, including hospitals, water desalination plants, and food production facilities, due to the depletion of fuel reserves.

White further elaborated on the magnitude of the crisis, citing the untreated sewage being discharged into the sea. He expressed concerns that once fuel reserves were exhausted, sewage would inundate the streets.

Cooking gas, previously supplied by Egypt via the private sector before the conflict, is now in critical shortage. White made it clear that organizations like UNRWA are not equipped to replace the complex distribution systems managed by the private sector for such essential supplies.

The situation for displaced persons is particularly severe, with approximately 600,000 individuals seeking refuge in 149 UNRWA establishments, predominantly schools. White detailed the squalid conditions faced by these displaced populations, with inadequate resources to maintain hygiene standards, women and children sleeping within classroom confines, and men out in the open.

With over 50 UNRWA facilities damaged in the conflict, including direct hits on five, White admitted the inability of the U.N. to ensure the safety of those in its shelters. He expressed a grim outlook, with 38 reported deaths in these shelters and expectations of the toll rising amid ongoing combat operations in the north.

Griffiths lamented the loss of 72 UNRWA staff members since the onset of the conflict on October 7, denoting it as one of the heaviest losses of U.N. personnel in a conflict zone.

With a reported death toll exceeding 9,000 in Gaza, Griffiths stressed that the final casualty figures might only be ascertainable post-cleanup of the debris. He called for humanitarian pauses to deliver aid to millions in need, advocating for the release of all hostages and the protection of civilians as mandated by international humanitarian law.

The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has made repeated appeals for an outright ceasefire. In contrast, the Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour critiqued the suggestion of mere humanitarian pauses, which he equated to brief respites amidst ongoing fatalities, underscoring the urgent necessity for a ceasefire to prevent further loss of life.

Mansour condemned the extensive destruction wrought upon infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, describing the current conditions faced by Palestinians as indescribably dire and pressing for concerted efforts to halt the devastation.

For additional reporting on this ongoing conflict, visit AP’s dedicated coverage.

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• United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
• Humanitarian Aid in Conflict Zones
• Water Scarcity and Its Effects
• Gaza Health Ministry Reports
• International Humanitarian Law
• Middle East Conflict Updates
• Humanitarian Pauses in Warfare
• Impact of Conflict on Infrastructure
• Civilian Protection in Armed Conflict
• Gaza and Israel: A History of the Conflict