“The lives of two million people were turned upside down from one day to the next. Most lost the most precious thing: their loved ones. Everything is missing except the hearts in mourning”, he highlighted in a message posted on the social network X.
Lazzarini Philippe highlighted the “dead children, humanitarian workers, journalists and health professionals” in the “unparalleled attacks” and the “destruction of hospitals and UN buildings in flagrant disregard of international humanitarian law”.
“All lines, including red lines, have been crossed. This war has been exacerbated by technologies that humans use to harm other humans as a whole,” he said.
Lazzarini also condemned that “the hunger born of the Israeli blockade seems to come from another era.”
“Man-made starvation eats the bodies of babies and young children,” he said.
As for UNRWA, the “biggest humanitarian organization” working in Gaza, Lazzarini added, “the attacks continue to disfigure it and deny refugee status to millions of Palestinians.”
The head of UNRWA called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and the opening of additional routes for humanitarian aid to enter the Palestinian territories.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) focused on the “unimaginable stress” experienced by 155,000 pregnant women and new mothers in the Gaza Strip after pregnancy and childbirth.
“Following the complete collapse of life-saving maternity services, they face the fear of dying not only from bombings but also from complications of pregnancy or childbirth. Now, six months into the war, they too face starvation”, she lamented.
On October 7, 2023, the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip was triggered by an attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israeli soil.
Since then, Israel has launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip that has caused more than 33,000 deaths, according to Hamas, which has ruled the tiny Palestinian enclave since 2007.