The United Nations Women has reported that Gaza is home to 50,000 pregnant women who are struggling to access essential health services as health-care workers, hospitals and clinics come under attack due to Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This was disclosed in a Press briefing by the UN Spokesperson when giving an update on the present situation in Gaza on Saturday, adding that like 5,500 of these women are due to give birth in the coming month.
Since Wednesday, Gaza has been experiencing full electricity blackout, which has brought essential health and water and sanitation services to the brink of collapse, hospitals only have a few hours of electricity each day as they are forced to ration depleting fuel reserves.
The spokesperson said this is according to the colleagues at the World Health Organization (WHO) which also face severe shortages of medicine and blood, saying the lack of electricity, as one can easily imagine, is impacting food security as well, disrupting refrigeration and irrigation.
Recalled UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Safety and Security in Gaza were informed by the Israeli liaison officers in Israeli military that the entire population of Gaza north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within 24 hours.
This amounts to approximately 1.1 million people. The same order applied to all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities — including schools, health centres and clinics. “We consider it is impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.
He said UN has appealed for any such order to be rescinded saying it could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation. “No aid is currently getting into Gaza Strip as border crossings remain closed. And our colleagues on the ground are telling us the UN’s own supplies in Gaza have now hit the bottom of the barrel.
UN urged the Israeli authorities to protect everyone, while noted that since 7 October, over 423,000 people have already been displaced. “Of them, more than 270,000 have taken refuge in UNRWA shelters, and those numbers are as of last night.
“We have not been able to get updated numbers due to the current situation, but they are likely to be exponentially higher. In shelters, of course, as one can expect, basic food, medicine and support is being provided to retain dignity, a glimmer of hope for those who have sought shelter.
Israel who declared war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas after it carried out an unprecedented attack by air, sea and land on Saturday.
The large-scale surprise assault has left at least 900 dead in Israel, prompting a lethal volley of retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that killed at least 687 people.
As they retreated into Gaza, the militants claimed to have taken at least 100 hostages with them and have threatened to kill them if airstrikes target Gaza without warning. Israel has pledged that Hamas will pay a heavy price.
The Israeli army also ordered 1.1 million Palestinians to get out of Gaza and move south within the next 24 hours while deadline is expected to have expired as Israel appears set for a massive ground invasion of Gaza with over 300,000 soldiers.