UN Describes Gaza City as Haunting ‘Ghost Town’

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United Nations: Amid hopes of an agreement to extend the cessation of Israeli attacks on Gaza, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, reported on Wednesday that humanitarian assistance had successfully reached its shelters in northern Gaza for the first time since the conflict erupted last month.

Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, Thomas White, described the eerie scene as they traversed Gaza city, noting that the streets were deserted, resembling a ghost town. Thomas highlighted the stark visibility of the devastation caused by heavy airstrikes and shelling, emphasizing how the roads were filled with craters, which significantly complicated aid deliveries.

Wednesday marked the sixth and final day of a truce between Hamas and Israel, facilitated by Qatar, a nation gaining prominence on the global diplomatic stage.

Humanitarian officials are fervently urging both sides to heed repeated international appeals for an extension of the ceasefire, which has resulted in significant developments, including the reported release of at least 85 hostages by Hamas and over 180 Palestinians detained by Israel.

The pause in hostilities has facilitated crucial aid deliveries into and across Gaza, primarily carried out by the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies alongside UN agencies, as highlighted by the aid coordination office, OCHA.

According to the latest update from the UN office, a convoy from the Palestine Red Crescent Society managed to reach the north on Tuesday, delivering essential supplies such as food, medical resources, water, and non-food items. However, the primary focus of aid distribution has been on the southern regions, where the majority of displaced Gazans have sought refuge.

In a poignant statement, UNRWA noted that a six-truck convoy successfully reached Jabalia, the largest and most densely populated refugee camp in Gaza, situated north of Gaza City. Despite personal tragedy, with the loss of his wife and daughter, one of UNRWA’s sanitation services chiefs in Jabalia continues to provide unwavering service to his community.

Since the ceasefire took effect on November 24, around 200 aid trucks have daily crossed into Gaza from Egypt, providing essential supplies. Images released by UNRWA depicted volunteers unloading sacks of supplies into a warehouse and refilling a stationary fuel tank.

The toll from the conflict has been devastating, with Gaza’s health authorities reporting over 15,000 casualties, including approximately 6,000 children, due to Israeli airstrikes. Additionally, the head of the UN health agency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, issued a grave warning about the heightened risk of disease spreading among the displaced population due to the dire living conditions and lack of adequate healthcare.

The World Health Organization (WHO) documented a staggering number of acute respiratory infections, cases of diarrhea, along with instances of scabies, lice, skin rashes, and jaundice among the affected population.

UNRWA highlighted that more than 1.8 million Gazans, roughly 80 percent of the enclave’s population, have been displaced since Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in a death toll of 1,200 and approximately 240 individuals being held hostage.

The displaced had left their homes in the north, in line with an evacuation order issued by the Israeli military on October 13.