GEW Assessment Report
The Gaza Strip is experiencing an unparalleled humanitarian crisis; quick intervention is urgently needed. A stop in humanitarian aid, ongoing military operations, and a debilitating embargo have all contributed to the crisis reaching a point where it is no longer survivable. This briefing aims to shed light on the current grave situation in Gaza, untangle its underlying factors, and suggest effective measures to alleviate human suffering and uphold human dignity.
An Overview of the Situation
1. Severe Resource Scarcity: Due to the severe shortage of these resources in the territory, Gaza is on the verge of running out of crucial resources such as food, water, electricity, and critical supplies (UN News).
2. Displacement: In a week, about one million people have been compelled to abandon their homes, with approximately 170,000 people taking refuge at schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
3. Healthcare Crisis: There is a crisis in the healthcare system because six out of seven major hospitals only operate at a reduced capacity. The health industry is in crisis, with piles of dead bodies stacking up, and a dearth of resources is forcing healthcare personnel to make difficult decisions about whom to save (UN News).
4. Aerial Bombardments: \”Al Jazeera\” reports that ten days of nonstop bombardment has resulted in widespread destruction, impacting schools and hospitals and forcing nearly one million people to flee their homes.
5. Blockade and Restricted Aid Access: Access to humanitarian aid continues to be severely restricted, worsening the crisis.
Factors Underlying the Situation
1. Military Engagements: The ongoing battle between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israeli forces has exacerbated the crisis. This fight has been going on for some time now.
2. Blockade: The Israeli siege has considerably contributed to the grave humanitarian conditions by restricting the entry of necessary products and help. This has increased the number of people in need.
3. International Diplomacy Deficiency: The failure of international diplomacy to let aid into Gaza is a sign of a more considerable geopolitical mismatch.
Principal Observations
1. Escalating Humanitarian Crisis: The situation in Gaza is quickly deteriorating, requiring the international community\’s immediate assistance.
2. Imperative of Humanitarian Access: To alleviate the immediate suffering, it is essential to ensure that humanitarian organisations have access to Gaza.
3. Need for Diplomatic Engagement: Diplomatic engagements are essential to mediate a truce, provide access for humanitarian organisations, and work towards a long-term settlement.
Recommendations:
1. Advocate for an immediate ceasefire to stop more destruction and loss of life.
2. To facilitate the delivery of necessary aid to Gaza, it is necessary to establish humanitarian corridors.
3. Promote worldwide solidarity to confront the crisis, protect international humanitarian law, and punish war crimes perpetrators.
4. Engage in diplomatic efforts to address the conflict\’s core causes and achieve a lasting political solution.
The tragic humanitarian situation in Gaza serves as a clear reminder of the devastating toll that conflict takes on the lives of its human victims. It is a clarion call to the collective conscience of the international world to take decisive and compassionate action to alleviate the suffering of the people living in Gaza.
