By Patricia Martinez Sastre and Ahmad Awad
Jerusalem/Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Jun 5 (EFE).- Almost eight months after a ceasefire agreement that has not stopped Israeli bombings, the humanitarian situation of the two million Gazans remains critical: most continue to live in tents surrounded by mountains of garbage, rubble and, now, with rodent infestations and insufficient humanitarian aid.
Anas Hussein al-Nagla, displaced in the Deir al-Balah camp (center) but originally from the southern city of Rafah – razed by the Israeli army and under military control since May 2024 – said that the armistice «is a lie» and that their lives are now more difficult.
«There has been no change. In fact, the situation and suffering have worsened. We are sinking into a quagmire,» he told EFE, his voice softening with the buzz of a drone or a nearby Israeli fighter jet. «What truce? There is no truce here!»
In these eight months during which the Israeli government has not lifted the ban on the entry of journalists or withdrawn its troops from the Strip, the shortage of drinking water for those living under canvas tents has become more acute.
This has been compounded by the accumulation of faecal waste, garbage and, with them, the spread of diseases in overcrowded camps.
The UN estimates that thousands of tons of unexploded ordnance and at least 61 million metric tons of debris remain in Gaza – around 80 percent of the buildings in the Strip are destroyed or damaged, including homes, schools, universities, mosques – which contaminates aquifers and makes any attempt at reconstruction impossible.
«We see many cases of acute respiratory infections and diarrhea since the water is not drinkable (…) There is solid waste in every place in Gaza,» Salwa al Tibi, director of the US medical NGO MedGobal in the Palestinian enclave, told EFE.
Al Tibi also described the ubiquitous presence of rats in camps and landfills, as well as lice and other mites that cause skin diseases, especially among young people.
«Children wake up screaming in the middle of the night when rodents bite their fingers and toes (…) Their mothers cling to what little they have left to discover that the rats have gnawed blankets, clothes and their few belongings,» said the head of resource development of the nonprofit Caritas Jerusalem, Harout Bedrossian.
Since the night of Oct. 7, 2023 – the day of Hamas’s multiple attack on Israel -, the government has cut off the direct supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip and, to this day, only allows one line that goes to a desalination plant. The rest – hospitals, water treatment, operating theatres, cold rooms – depend on the energy from generators and solar panels.
But the Israeli authorities do not allow the entry of new dynamos, panels or spare parts, which it classifies as ‘dual-use’ items (both civilian and military).
This is plunging the Strip into an unsustainable situation, according to different NGOs, as demand continues but generators break down, overload or face fuel scarcity.
Israeli NGO Gisha denounced in a statement in April that Israel had a legal obligation to meet the basic needs of the civilian population in Gaza, to refrain from blocking essential supplies and attacking civilian infrastructure, and that access to water and sanitation were essential rights.
In the field of humanitarian aid, the Supreme Court endorsed on May 20 the Israeli ban – approved in December – against more than 30 international NGOs, which will not be able to continue in Gaza if they do not complete a new Israeli registry by June requiring them to give personal information about their Palestinian employees.
Among those affected are Action Against Hunger, several branches of Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council: the humanitarian backbone that supports Gaza together with the UN World Food Programme.
And others that will continue to operate in Gaza, such as World Central Kitchen (WCK), owned by Spanish chef Jose Andres, have halved the food rations they distribute daily in the north, central area and south of Gaza due to growing financial pressure.
«This reduction does not mean a decrease in needs on the ground,» Wadhah Hubaishi, the organization’s head for the Middle East, told EFE, explaining how they prioritize the distribution of food among 70 medical centers, patients and staff, as well as schools and orphanages with children.
«The humanitarian situation is devastating. Thank God we can stand on our feet,» said the Palestinian Al Nagla, adding that they would starve to death in Deir el Balah if it weren’t for these community kitchens. EFE
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