MoSD: The Gaza Strip Is Facing a Worsening Humanitarian Catastrophe... Civilians Are Struggling to Survive
The Ministry of Social Development is following with deep concern the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing aggression, the tightened blockade, and the continued restrictions on the entry of humanitarian assistance and essential goods. These conditions have led to an unprecedented collapse of the basic foundations of life, forcing hundreds of thousands of families to endure extremely harsh living conditions that threaten their right to life and dignity.
The Ministry affirms that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is no longer limited to shortages of basic necessities. It has evolved into a multifaceted crisis characterized by forced displacement, severe food insecurity, the deterioration of health services, water scarcity, environmental degradation, and soaring prices, while the population faces an almost complete inability to meet even their most basic needs.
In this context, the Israeli occupation continues to expand forced evacuation zones, significantly reducing the areas available for civilians and displacing thousands of families in recent weeks. At the same time, civilian casualties continue to rise, with women and children accounting for the majority of victims.
The Gaza Strip is also experiencing unprecedented levels of food insecurity following the closure of most community kitchens and the sharp decline in the flow of humanitarian aid. As a result, the majority of families are no longer able to secure even one meal a day, amid the absence of income sources, shortages of fuel and cooking gas, and the dramatic increase in the prices of essential commodities beyond the purchasing power of most households.
The Ministry warns of the alarming deterioration in health and nutritional conditions, particularly among women and children. Thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding women are enduring extremely difficult humanitarian conditions in displacement centres and tents, with limited access to food and healthcare, increasing rates of miscarriage and malnutrition, and growing threats to the lives of tens of thousands of children.
At the same time, the water crisis continues to worsen as severe shortages of safe drinking water persist. Citizens, particularly women and children, are forced to wait for hours under the scorching sun to obtain limited quantities of water, while rising temperatures and the collapse of water and sanitation infrastructure further compound the crisis.
Residents also face daily hardship in obtaining bread due to limited production capacity and severe flour shortages. Long queues have become a daily reality, and many people return home without being able to secure their most basic food requirements.
The Ministry further notes that the accumulation of solid waste, the spread of rodents and insects, and the lack of pest control supplies have significantly increased environmental and public health risks, contributing to rising rates of skin diseases and communicable illnesses, particularly among children, while the healthcare system continues to collapse amid critical shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
The Ministry stresses that the continued electricity outages, severe fuel shortages, the absence of cooking gas, and the widespread destruction of agricultural land have all deepened the humanitarian crisis, turning daily life in the Gaza Strip into a constant struggle to secure the most basic means of survival.
The Ministry of Social Development reiterates that the situation in the Gaza Strip constitutes a deepening humanitarian catastrophe and a grave violation of international humanitarian law, requiring urgent and responsible international action. It calls upon the international community, the United Nations and its specialized agencies, and the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfil their legal and humanitarian obligations by taking immediate and effective measures to ensure the full and sustained opening of border crossings, guarantee the safe and unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance, relief supplies, and essential goods throughout the Gaza Strip, provide international protection for civilians, and ensure their access to food, safe drinking water, healthcare, and shelter. Such action is essential to halt the accelerating humanitarian deterioration and prevent the expansion of famine and humanitarian collapse threatening the lives of more than two million Palestinians.
The Ministry renews its call that saving civilian lives in the Gaza Strip can no longer tolerate further delay. Immediate international action has become a humanitarian, moral, and legal imperative to protect civilians, bring an end to the worsening humanitarian catastrophe, and safeguard the Palestinian people's fundamental right to life and human dignity.