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UNITED NATIONS, Oct 23 (IPS) - The second of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has yielded relative success, as so far more than 420,000 children have been vaccinated since the second round of immunizations began one week prior. This exception stands out as the uptick in airstrikes and sustained blockages of aid give humanitarian organizations cause for concern for the deterioration of Gaza, especially in the north.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that an Israeli airstrike on Beit Lahiya on October 19 led to at least 87 deaths and caused extensive damage to nearby infrastructure. Dr Eid Sabbah, Kamal Adwan Hospital's director of nursing, informed reporters that the strikes leveled several buildings and left "more than four or five residential blocks razed to the ground". Despite this, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have reiterated their claims that their airstrikes are "precision attacks" on Hamas operations, intending to cause no harm to innocent civilians.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) confirmed on Monday that Israeli authorities continue to deny access to humanitarian missions in the north, with critical deliveries such as food and medicine being impeded.
In a statement first issued on X (formerly Twitter) on October 21, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini remarked that hospitals in Gaza have been hit by airstrikes and are left without power, leaving the injured to their own devices. Efforts to rescue civilians trapped under the rubble of explosions have been denied. Additionally, the remaining displacement shelters have reached maximum capacity, forcing many displaced individuals to sleep in public latrines.
On October 22, Lazzarini followed up with a new statement on X which is marked as a SOS from UNRWA staff in northern Gaza. The staff present are continuing operations and keeping shelters open throughout the bombardments, even up until now when they cannot find food, water or medical assistance.
"The smell of death is everywhere as bodies are left lying on the roads or under the rubble. Missions to clear the bodies or provide humanitarian assistance are denied," said Lazzarini. "In northern Gaza, people are just waiting to die. They feel deserted, hopeless and alone. They live from one hour to the next, fearing death at every second."
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that between October 6 and 20, over 28 requests for humanitarian missions were denied by Israeli authorities. A further request for aid delivery on October 22 has also been denied.
Conditions in displacement shelters grow worse on a daily basis. OCHA stresses that essential resources such as food, clean water, fuel, and healthcare are dwindling, with telecommunications being severely compromised.
"The fuel needed to keep water facilities running has been depleted, and people are either risking their lives to find drinking water or consuming water from unsafe sources," said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has stressed the urgency of food deliveries as the upcoming winter season is expected to greatly exacerbate critical hunger levels throughout the enclave. In October, WFP announced that none of their food parcels were delivered. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the risk of famine in Gaza is estimated to rise dramatically between November 2024 and April 2025 if hostilities and aid blockages continue.
"Commercial supplies are down, there is large-scale displacement, infrastructure is decimated, agriculture has collapsed and people have no money. All this is reflected in the IPC's projection that the situation will get worse from November onwards," said Arif Husain, WFP's Chief Economist.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on October 22 to discuss ceasefire negotiations with Israeli officials. This comes one week after the U.S. Department of State wrote a letter to Israel, demanding for humanitarian aid missions to be allowed into Gaza unimpeded. If the humanitarian situation does not improve in 30 days, Israel risks losing support from the U.S. military.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published a new report on October 22, which estimates that the destruction seen during the course of the Israel-Hamas War will set development in the Gaza Strip back by roughly 69 years. The report adds that poverty levels in Gaza are estimated to affect 74.3 percent of the entire population, or over 4.1 million people.
"Projections in this new assessment confirm that amidst the immediate suffering and horrific loss of life, a serious development crisis is also unfolding – one that jeopardizes the future of Palestinians for generations to come," said Achim Steiner, Administrator of the UNDP.
The report by the UNDP also hypothesized several recovery scenarios for Gaza. To stand a chance in putting the Palestinian economy back on track to realigning with Palestinian development plans by 2034, it is imperative that a ceasefire is reached, economic restrictions are lifted, and Gaza receives an uninterrupted flow of humanitarian assistance.
Under one of the proposed recovery scenarios, in addition to an annual 280 million dollars being put into humanitarian aid, 290 million dollars must also be allocated for recovery efforts. This plan is estimated to significantly reduce poverty and increase the number of households gaining access to essential services.
"The assessment indicates that, even if humanitarian aid is provided each year, the economy may not regain its pre-crisis level for a decade or more," said Steiner. "As conditions on the ground allow, the Palestinian people need a robust early recovery strategy embedded in the humanitarian assistance phase, laying foundations for a sustainable recovery."
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