UN Says Gaza Strip Needs Exceeds Aid Organization's Capacity

JAKARTA - The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed that the needs of the population in the Gaza Strip, Palestine far exceed what aid organizations can provide, given the strict restrictions and other obstacles.

In a statement published on its official website on Tuesday, the office reported that the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and its partners had managed to restore access to clean water in southern Gaza, Palestine.

This follows an Israeli air strike on March 25 that reduced production at a seawater desalination plant in southern Gaza to less than 20 percent of its usual operating capacity.

The statement explained that half a million people in Deir al-Balah and al-Mawasi areas in Khan Younis were unable to fully access drinking water as a result, despite UN-backed efforts to deliver clean water by truck, quoted from WAFA (8/4).

The UN office stressed the urgent need to facilitate the work of humanitarian partners and allow various essential goods to enter the Gaza Strip through the available crossings.

The latest conflict in Gaza was triggered by an attack by a Palestinian militant group led by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and 251 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli calculations.

Israel responded by launching air raids, blockades and ground operations in Gaza.

After there was a ceasefire from January to March 2025, the conflict resumed before the ceasefire was agreed to, which was facilitated by Egypt, Turkey, Qatar and the United States in October 2025.

Medical sources in the Gaza Strip announced on Tuesday that the number of deaths as a result of the Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip has risen to 72,312 and another 172,134 have been injured since the start of the latest conflict.

The sources reported that hospitals in the Gaza Strip received 10 dead and 44 injured in the last 24 hours.

They further pointed out that the total number of civilians killed since the ceasefire on October 11 had risen to 733, and the total number of injured to 2,034, while 759 bodies had been found.

The same source explained that a number of victims were still under the rubble and on the streets, because the ambulance and rescue teams had not been able to reach them until now.