The primary United Nations agency operating in Gaza has stated that it will need to cease its humanitarian operations within a day unless fuel deliveries are made. This would represent the termination of a crucial lifeline for civilians in the region.
While some aid has made its way into Gaza from Egypt, these deliveries have included food, water, and medicine but not fuel. Israel has refused to permit fuel shipments to enter Gaza since a violent attack by Hamas on October 7, expressing concerns that the fuel would be used by the militant group in its conflict with Israel.
When asked how long the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) could continue to function without fuel, spokesperson Tamara Alrifai informed CNN: “We’re probably talking about a day. We have already warned that if fuel runs out by tonight or tomorrow, we, as UNRWA, the largest UN agency in Gaza, will no longer be able to operate.” Initially, the organization had stated it would have to suspend its operations on Wednesday evening.
UN officials have cautioned that the current supplies are inadequate for the needs of the 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza, and they will be of little use without the fuel required to collect and distribute the aid. The primary United Nations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that without fuel, aid cannot be delivered, hospitals will lack power, and there will be difficulties in purifying or pumping drinking water. Hospitals, already overwhelmed and on the brink of closure, have repeatedly warned that new patients injured in daily bombings and infants reliant on oxygen supplies could perish if fuel is not supplied.