In November 2023, the conflict between Palestine and Israel escalated again, resulting in unprecedented destruction and ** in the Gaza Strip. The latest report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Palestine shows that more than 90 per cent of the population of the Gaza Strip, some 2 million people, have been displaced and unable to return to their homes. Of these, nearly 800,000 have been forced to seek refuge in schools and other facilities run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), while another 1.2 million are living in difficult conditions with relatives, friends or neighbours.
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is dire, with people facing severe shortages of food, water, medical care, electricity and more. The report of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs notes that as a result of the Israeli blockade and bombardment of the Gaza Strip, the infrastructure and public services in the Gaza Strip have been severely damaged, resulting in more than 80 per cent of the population in the Gaza Strip without access to safe drinking water, more than 60 per cent of the population without access to adequate electricity and more than 50 per cent of the population without access to normal health services. In addition, the Gaza Strip's education, transportation, communications, agriculture, industry and other fields have also been severely affected, causing huge economic losses and social unrest.
The children of the Gaza Strip are the most innocent victims, whose lives and futures are at stake. According to the United Nations Children**, more than 100,000 children in the Gaza Strip have lost their parents, siblings or friends to war, more than 200,000 children have lost the opportunity to go to school and Xi because of war, and more than 300,000 children have suffered psychological trauma because of war. The children of the Gaza Strip are in crisis of survival and development, and they need urgent humanitarian assistance and protection, according to a spokesperson for the United Nations Children**.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern and regret over the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, calling on both sides to immediately stop violence, avoid civilians, and respect international humanitarian law and human rights law. He also urged the two sides to resume peace talks and find a political solution to achieve a two-State solution that would allow the two peoples, Palestine and Israel, to live side by side in peace on the basis of security and dignity. The United Nations has mobilized all parties to provide humanitarian relief to the people of the Gaza Strip, including food, water, health, shelter and education. The United Nations also calls on the international community to increase its assistance to the Gaza Strip by providing funds and technology for the reconstruction and development of the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Strip is a coastal area of Palestine with an area of about 360 square kilometers and a population of about 2.3 million, making it one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The Gaza Strip has been the focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 1948 and has experienced many wars and crises. Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been under the control of Hamas, and its borders with Israel and Egypt have been closed, severely constraining its economic and social development. Since October 2023, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated again, resulting in unprecedented destruction and ** in the Gaza Strip, an aggravated humanitarian crisis, and people's lives are in dire straits.