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Gaza: “Sickening normalisation” of suffering, amid attacks on people and aid convoys
Ongoing military operations by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza continue to devastate Palestinian children and families, with mounting casualties and a critical lack of humanitarian aid for the desperate population.
“Local media reporting here that last night, 30 people were killed in this area in strikes” said a senior emergency officer with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Louise Wateridge, speaking to reporters in Geneva from central Gaza. “We've seen absolutely horrific images from the scene. There are parents looking for their children, children covered in dust and blood, looking for their parents, multiple injuries on top of the casualties reported, and people still buried under the rubble.”
The strikes came only one day after the UN General Assembly passed a resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Ms. Wateridge defined the situation as “absolutely sickening,” noting such daily pain and suffering has become the norm for Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, with doctors struggling to treat life-threatening injuries, prevent infections, and address treatable illnesses. The situation is compounded by severe shortages of essentials, including insulin, syringes, and cancer medications. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently noted that the “catastrophe in Gaza is nothing less than a complete collapse of our humanity.”
“Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita anywhere in the world,” said Louise Wateridge. ”Children are among the hardest hit, with Gaza now reporting the highest per capita number of child amputees globally. Many are losing their limbs. And in scenarios such as this, they're undergoing surgeries without anaesthesia. I spoke to doctors at the Nasser Hospital. This is the largest, semi-functioning, hospital in the Gaza Strip now. And they're absolutely beside themselves,” Ms. Wateridge said.
According to UNRWA, nearly 26,000 people have suffered life-changing injuries in the last 14 months - all requiring rehabilitation services, particularly for amputations and spinal cord injuries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Already in May 2024, more than one in five households in Gaza reported having at least one disabled family member, with 58,000 disabled people identified in the official database of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Despite continued attacks on its premises and staff, “UNRWA here remains one of the largest health actors operating in the Gaza Strip,” Ms. Wateridge explained. “UNRWA is providing 6.7 million medical consultations during the course of this war, “ she said, noting that lab services now are limited to three tests, out of 35 before the war.
Food insecurity also remains an urgent concern in Gaza. Experts from the UN-partnered Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee have already issued an alert over imminent famine in the northern Gaza Strip.“It's been 14 months. People here really are surviving on bread, lentils, food in tin cans. We're not seeing fruit and vegetables around. We're not seeing people with families, children get the nutrients that they need in terms of fruit and vegetables. And this is also having a huge effect on the on the health of the population. In the past four months alone, nearly 19,000 children were hospitalized due to acute malnourishment,” Ms. Wateridge said.
Attacks on an aid convoy yesterday tragically claimed the lives of several guards, leaving only one truck of 70 able to deliver food, hygiene supplies and tents to Gaza’s population, after a successful UN inter-agency aid delivery on Wednesday. “We went from having a very successful convoy where 105 trucks of food and flour did reach the the population, and UNRWA distributed all of these supplies, to the complete opposite situation,” Ms. Wateridge said citing criminal looting and other safety risks that prevented the convoy from reaching its intended destination.
UNRWA continues to be the backbone of health and humanitarian aid in the Gaza strip even as its staff risk their lives on a daily basis. “We have had colleagues killed. My colleagues have had family members killed,” Ms. Wateridge explained. “ So, the suffering just continues. The sadness continues. It's very difficult to continue operating under these circumstances for everyone, for all humanitarians.”
STORY: Gaza humanitarian update- UNRWA
TRT: 03’:01”
SOURCE: UNTV CH footage from Geneva
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
- Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, Flag Alley.
- Wide shot, UN Geneva Press room, podium, screens and speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): “Last night, 30 people were killed in this area in strikes. We've seen absolutely horrific images from the scene. There are parents looking for their children. Children covered in dust and blood, looking for their parents. Multiple injuries on top of the casualties reported and people still buried under the rubble.”
- Medium shot, podium UN Geneva Press room.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): “Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita anywhere in the world. Many are losing their limbs in scenarios such as this. They're undergoing surgeries without anesthesia. I spoke to doctors at Nasser Hospital, this is the largest semi-functioning hospital in the Gaza Strip now, and they're absolutely beside themselves.”
- Medium shot, UN Geneva Press room with journalists and screens.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): “It's been a very deadly week in the middle area. As UNRWA, we have had colleagues killed. My colleagues have had family members killed. So, the suffering just continues. The sadness continues. It's very difficult to continue operating under these circumstances for everyone, for all humanitarians.”
- Medium shot, UN Geneva Press room with journalists and screens.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): “It's has been 14 months, people here really are surviving on bread, lentils, food in tin cans. We're not seeing fruit and vegetables around. We're not seeing people with families and children get the nutrients that they need in terms of fruit and vegetables. And this is also having a huge effect on the health of the population. In the past four months alone, nearly 19 000 children were hospitalized due to acute malnourishment.”
- Wide shot, UN Geneva Press room with journalists and screens.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): “We went from having a very successful convoy where 105 trucks of food and flour did reach the population. And UNRWA distributed all of these supplies, to the complete opposite situation, where again, criminal looting and safety risks prevented this convoy from reaching its intended destination. Only one truck of 70 made it to the final destination and it's beyond frustrating.”
- Medium shot, UN Geneva Press room with journalists.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): “UNRWA here remains one of the largest health actors operating in the Gaza Strip. UNRWA is providing 6.7 million medical consultations during the course of this war. Lab services are now limited to just three tests out of nearly five that were at 35 that were available before the war.”
- Close up shot UN Geneva Press room with journalists.
- Control room with technicians.
- Close up shot UN Geneva Press room with journalists.
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