Gaza Faces Health Crisis with nearly 40,000 Hepatitis A Cases Amidst Aid Blockades, Highlights of the noon briefing by Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General (excerpt on the crisis situation in Gaza and the Middle East) – 02 August 2024

02 August 2024

(Excerpt)

MIDDLE EAST

Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said today that he has engaged in recent days in critical discussions with the relevant parties and Member States in the region, including Lebanon, Egypt and Qatar, in support of regional de-escalation.

He has underscored the urgency of addressing the growing risk of a serious escalation, which poses a substantial threat to regional stability.
He and his interlocutors examined the ongoing efforts to mediate and de-escalate the situation and explored ways to prevent a spillover of the conflict. And he reaffirmed the necessity of urgent, coordinated action to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

It is crucial that we act decisively and collectively to address the immediate threats and lay the groundwork for a lasting peace, Mr. Wennesland said.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that UN agencies warn of a high risk of the further spread of infectious diseases across the Gaza Strip, amid chronic water scarcity and no way to adequately manage waste and sewage.

UNRWA – the UN Relief and Works Agency – has reported nearly 40,000 cases of Hepatitis A in its shelters and health centres since October.

Meanwhile, health partners are preparing for a worst-case scenario of a polio outbreak. The World Health Organization said earlier this week that efforts are ongoing to acquire vaccines. However, as with food and medical supplies, it is not enough just to get the vaccines across the border. WHO called for a ceasefire and – at the very least – clear roads and safe access to allow partners to reach everyone in Gaza with the necessary vaccinations.

Meanwhile, OCHA reports ongoing impediments to humanitarian access in Gaza, including continued hostilities, unexploded ordnance, damaged and impassable roads, attacks on aid convoys, a lack of public order and safety, the closure of the Rafah Crossing, and restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on the entry of certain humanitarian supplies. These factors continue to significantly hinder the entry of aid into Gaza and the delivery of aid and basic services to hundreds of thousands of people across the Strip.

OCHA says that out of 157 aid missions planned to northern Gaza last month, just 67 were facilitated by the Israeli authorities. The rest were either denied, impeded or canceled due to security, logistical or operational reasons.

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