The humanitarian situation is Gaza is deteriorating amid an unprecedented escalation that began early on Saturday morning.
Islamic Relief staff in Gaza have described the situation as being unlike anything they’ve ever seen.
The civilian death toll is rising across the region, with authorities reporting that more than 500 Palestinians have been killed and over 8,000 injured.
These figures are expected to rise as airstrikes continue to target residential buildings in Gaza without prior notice.
In Israel, authorities have reported more than 800 people have been killed and over 2,000 injured.
Islamic Relief is appalled by recent reports of deaths and violence. We continue to strongly condemn any and all violence against civilians and plead with all parties to exercise restraint to avoid further civilian casualties.
A desperate situation made worse
On Monday, Israel announced a ‘total’ blockade of Gaza, including a ban on food and fuel, and the water to supply to Gaza was cut. The impacts of this are likely to make the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza even worse.
Occupation, blockade and recurring conflict have left Gaza’s infrastructure near collapse. Healthcare facilities are poorly equipped and struggling to meet rising needs. Amid the current escalation, several facilities and ambulances have been damaged, while 6 healthcare workers have died.
More than 90% of available water was unsafe to drink before this most recent escalation and food supplies were not enough for most families.
Gaza also suffers from a chronic lack of electricity supply, which has a knock-on effect on health, water and sanitation services’ ability to operate.
Much of the population relies on humanitarian aid from charities like Islamic Relief just to survive, and this number may well rise as internal displacement spikes due to the ongoing hostilities.
Islamic Relief remains steadfast in our determination to assist Palestinian families Working closely with our local partners, we are preparing our humanitarian response, which is likely to initially focus on distributing medical supplies and urgently needed essentials.
With your support, Islamic Relief will remain a lifeline for Palestinian families. Please give generously to our Palestine Emergency Appeal now.