UN warns Gaza fuel shortage has reached critical levels
Listen to article
The United Nations warned Saturday that dire fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip had reached 'critical levels,' threatening to dramatically increase the suffering in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
Read More: 52 more killed in Gaza as genocide goes unabated
'After almost two years of war, people in Gaza are facing extreme hardships, including widespread food insecurity. When fuel runs out, it places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of starvation,' seven UN agencies cautioned in a joint statement.
Also Read: Netanyahu demands Hamas disarm before Gaza peace deal
Doctors Without Borders warned Friday that its teams on the ground in Gaza were witnessing surging levels of acute malnutrition in the besieged and war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
The medical charity, known by its French acronym MSF, said levels of acute malnutrition had reached an 'all-time high' at two of its facilities in the Gaza Strip.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
8 hours ago
- Express Tribune
UN says development goals progress 'insufficient' 10 years on
Ten years after the United Nations adopted its Sustainable Development Goals, it said Monday that more people now have access to the internet, but major issues like hunger have worsened. UN member states committed in 2015 to pursuing 17 goals that range from ending extreme poverty and hunger to pursuing gender equality and clean energy by 2030. In a report published Monday, the United Nations said that 35 percent of the objectives were advancing, while around half had stagnated and the rest were heading backwards. This scorecard, it said, showed that the progress was "insufficient." Among the most successful was improving access to electricity, with 92 percent of the world connected by 2023. Internet usage has also risen from 40 percent to 68 percent worldwide in the last decade. Some 110 million more children and young people have entered school since 2015, the report said, while maternal mortality has fallen from 228 deaths per 100,000 births in 2015 to 197 in 2023. But some goals have receded despite this progress. In 2023, 757 million people (9.1 percent of the world's population) were suffering from hunger, compared with 713 million (7.5 percent) in 2019, the report said. Meanwhile, more than 800 million people -- around one in 10 people worldwide -- are still living in extreme poverty. "Eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 appears highly unlikely due to slow recovery from Covid-19 impacts, economic instability, climate shocks, and sluggish growth in sub-Saharan Africa," the report said.
Express Tribune
8 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Fire-hit eye ward remains closed
The hospital ward, which was left a charred wreck, had been newly built for coronavirus patients. PHOTO: AFP More than a month has passed since a fire broke out in the Eye Ward of Khanewal District Hospital on June 10, yet the facility remains non-operational, leaving hundreds of patients without access to treatment and surgeries. Despite regular visits by the deputy commissioner, progress appears limited with little practical improvement on the ground. The hospital sources revealed that it would cost only around Rs50,000 to restore the ward. However, due to alleged negligence and inefficiency of the hospital's medical superintendent (MS), the matter remains unresolved. The ward caters to hundreds of patients each day, many of whom now face delays in eye surgeries and check-ups. Four ophthalmic surgeons - Dr Waqar, Dr Atta Rasool, Dr Sabiha and Dr Aamir Tirmizi - have been left without work in the interim. One of the doctors, speaking anonymously, stated that due to the inaction of the hospital and district administration, thousands of low-income patients have been forced to seek expensive treatments in the private sector. There are also allegations of malpractice involving the procurement of eye lenses. According to insider sources, some hospital doctors reportedly have these lenses stocked at private medical stores outside the hospital. Patients are allegedly instructed to buy them at inflated prices, which are then shared between store owners and certain medical staff. When the situation was highlighted, district officials appeared to respond, with increased visits and media coverage. Photographs of the deputy commissioner inspecting the ward have been sent to the media and the Punjab government by the district's information office. However, conflicting reports continue to emerge. When asked about the ward's current status, one doctor claimed it is fully operational, while another said it is ready for reopening and the deputy commissioner is scheduled to inaugurate it soon. Daily, the ward is said to receive over 100 patients, with hundreds of eye surgeries conducted weekly before the fire. Adding to the hospital's woes, a separate incident was reported last week, where the absence of blood pressure monitoring equipment allegedly led to a patient's death. The incident sparked a protest by the deceased's family, further underscoring the urgent need for improved healthcare services in the district.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
UN warns Gaza fuel shortage has reached critical levels
A Palestinian man sells fuel, extracted from recycled plastic at a makeshift plant, at a roadside kiosk in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 6, Listen to article The United Nations warned Saturday that dire fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip had reached 'critical levels,' threatening to dramatically increase the suffering in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. Read More: 52 more killed in Gaza as genocide goes unabated 'After almost two years of war, people in Gaza are facing extreme hardships, including widespread food insecurity. When fuel runs out, it places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of starvation,' seven UN agencies cautioned in a joint statement. Also Read: Netanyahu demands Hamas disarm before Gaza peace deal Doctors Without Borders warned Friday that its teams on the ground in Gaza were witnessing surging levels of acute malnutrition in the besieged and war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The medical charity, known by its French acronym MSF, said levels of acute malnutrition had reached an 'all-time high' at two of its facilities in the Gaza Strip.
