NEW YORK (Dispatches) – 

Palestinian children and civilians “deserve to live in peace”, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday, marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Anadolu Agency reports.

“This International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people comes at a very dark and tragic moment. But we must persist with our commitment to health for all Palestinian people,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X

“We continue to call on all parties to work towards a sustained ceasefire and lasting peace,” he added.

In a separate post, he stressed that 1.3 million people are currently living in shelters in Gaza.

He said that, “overcrowding and lack of food, water, sanitation and basic hygiene, waste management and access to medication are resulting in a high number of cases of acute respiratory infections (111,000), scabies (12,000), lice (11,000), diarrhoea (75,000), skin rash (24,000), impetigo (2,500), chickenpox (2,500) and jaundice (1,100)”

“Given the living conditions and lack of health care, more people could die from disease than bombings,” Tedros said.

He emphasized that establishing a ceasefire now is “a matter of life or death for civilians”.

 

‘High Risk’ of Famine 

 

 The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) also warned that Gazans, especially women and children, are facing a “high risk” of famine without sustained food aid.

The WFP said it had delivered food to 121,161 people in UN shelters and host communities in Gaza since a four-day humanitarian pause, began on Friday. The truce has since been extended and is due to come to an end tomorrow morning.

“Thanks to the pause, our teams have been in action on the ground, going into areas we haven’t reached for a long time. What we see is catastrophic. There’s a risk of famine and starvation on our watch and to prevent it, we need to be able to bring in food at scale and distribute it safely,” said WFP’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region, Corinne Fleischer.

“Six days is simply not enough to provide all the assistance needed. The people of Gaza have to eat every day, not just for six days.”

“Our team recounted what they saw: hunger, desperation, and destruction. People who have not received any relief in weeks. The team could see the suffering in their eyes,” said Samer Abdeljaber, WFP Palestine representative and country director.

“This pause offered a window of relief that we hope paves the way for longer-term calm. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access cannot stop now.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations humanitarian office urged Wednesday the immediate reopening of more aid entry points into Gaza, including for commercial goods.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement that entry of supplies including food, water, medical supplies and fuel via Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt is still far from sufficient.

Approximately 85 tons of cooking oil were transported daily to Gaza since the ceasefire, accounting for only one-third of the average daily consumption in Gaza before the conflict, it added.

Queues at filling stations for cooking gas in Khan Yunis, south of Gaza, extended for nearly two kilometers, with people waiting there overnight. Reports indicated residents resorting to burning doors and window frames for cooking.