Gaza: Humanitarian Operations 'on the Brink of Total Collapse,' Says Red Cross

Gaza: Humanitarian operations are 'on the brink of total collapse,' warned the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Friday, following two months of total blockade preventing any aid from entering by Israel.

"If the delivery of aid does not resume immediately, the ICRC will not have the food, medicine, and essential supplies it needs to continue many of the programs it conducts in Gaza," the ICRC emphasized in a statement.

"Authorities must allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. Hostages must be released. Civilians must be protected. Urgent action is needed, or else Gaza will sink deeper into chaos from which no humanitarian effort can rescue it," warned the Geneva-based organization.

Since March 2, no humanitarian aid has been allowed to enter the territory, which is home to 2.4 million people, in an attempt, according to Israeli authorities, to force Hamas to release hostages taken on October 7.

"For civilians in Gaza, every day is a fierce struggle to survive the dangers of conflict and endure the consequences of ongoing displacements – all without being able to rely on emergency humanitarian assistance," stated Pascal Hundt, deputy director of operations for the ICRC, as cited in the statement.

"We cannot allow this already critical situation to worsen further," he insisted.

On Thursday, Mike Ryan, the WHO's assistant director-general, condemned the situation in Gaza as "an abomination."

- Obligation to Assist -

If the blockade continues, programs such as the ICRC's communal kitchens – which provide many people with their only daily meal – will not be able to be maintained for more than a few weeks, the statement noted.

Since the onset of the blockade, the UN has continually denounced the humanitarian and health catastrophe and the risk of famine.

The World Food Programme recently announced that it had "exhausted all its supplies."

The ICRC also reminds that in accordance with international humanitarian law, Israel has the obligation, to the best of its ability, to ensure that the essential needs of the civilian population under its control are met.

The situation at the organization's field hospital is also critical, with some medicines and health products being depleted.

"Hospitals and other health facilities are reorganizing their reserves and setting priorities to continue functioning. Without rapid resupply, they risk being unable to provide vital care to patients," the ICRC highlighted, also denouncing "repeated attacks that prevent health personnel from doing their jobs."

The retaliatory war waged by Israel since October 7 has resulted in over 52,400 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas government's health ministry, considered reliable by the UN.

The Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, on Israeli territory resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, most of whom were civilians, according to an AFP count based on official figures.

Among the 251 people abducted that day, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 dead, according to the Israeli army.