Gaza Crisis: Lifesavers Losing Lives | OCHA at UN Security Council Briefing

Briefing by Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

OCHA’s Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division, Edem Wosornu, told the Council that it was “impossible to accept the people endeavouring to save lives are instead losing their lives, particularly as 1.1 million people face catastrophic levels of hunger, and Gaza remains on the brink of famine.”

As of 18 may, she said, “just 10 bakeries are operational out of a total of 16 being supported by our humanitarian partners and added that “it is expected that these will run out of stock and fuel within days if no additional supplies are received.”

The other six bakeries, she said, “have been forced to cease operation due to either shortages of fuel or because of ongoing hostilities.”

Last week a staff member of the UN Department of Safety and Security from India died and another staff member was injured when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in the area of Rafah. This brings to a total 193 UN staff who have been killed in Gaza since the start of hostilities.