UN seeks $294 million for urgent needs in Gaza and occupied West Bank

(Patria) - The United Nations has issued an urgent appeal for $294 million to address the "most urgent needs" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where more than 400,000 Palestinians have left their homes in recent days, AFP reported.

The funds will be used to assist more than 1.2 million people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

Humanitarian needs intensified by the escalation in Gaza in May 2023 and the deteriorating situation in the West Bank "have left humanitarian organizations without the resources needed to adequately respond to the full range of needs of vulnerable Palestinians," OCHA stated in its appeal.

Nearly 60 percent of households in Gaza were considered food insecure before the start of the new hostilities. Late Thursday, the number of displaced in Gaza increased by over 84,400 people, reaching more than 423,300, according to OCHA data.

Following Israeli strikes on water infrastructure and the cessation of water supply to the enclave by Israel since Sunday, "the majority of residents of the Gaza Strip no longer have access to drinking water from service providers or household water through pipelines," OCHA said.

"UNICEF reports that some have already started drinking seawater," it added.

In addition, "health facilities are overwhelmed, medical supplies are lacking, and access to hospitals and medical care is hampered by ongoing hostilities and damaged roads."

Gaza is home to about 50,000 pregnant women, of whom 5,500 are expected to give birth in the next month, "struggling to access basic health services while health workers, hospitals and clinics are under attack."