Gaza (ICRC) – The ceasefire in Gaza has proven vital to saving lives, bringing in humanitarian assistance and sustaining the civilian population. However, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is far from over. Aid deliveries had substantially increased over the course of the ceasefire, but they remain a drop in the ocean compared to the immense needs on the ground.
Beyond emergency relief, a long-term commitment to rebuilding essential services and restoring dignity to affected communities is required. There is also an urgent need for diversified assistance, including construction materials for shelters, medical supplies, and other essential services to address the complex humanitarian crisis.
The suspension of assistance now, including the cessation of power to the only water desalination facility in Gaza, risks plunging Gaza further into an acute humanitarian emergency. The impacts are already felt in price increases and shortages of basic goods.
Under international humanitarian law, Israel shall ensure that the basic needs of the civilian population under its control are met. The rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance must also be allowed and facilitated.
The ICRC remains committed to delivering lifesaving assistance and advocating for the urgent needs of those affected. Rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access is critical to fulfilling this mission. The ICRC reiterates its urgent call for more aid to enter Gaza, for all hostages to be released and for the ceasefire to continue.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
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