Fourteen-year-old Karam, displaced with his two brothers and sister, expressed his dream of becoming a footballer, but now says, ‘There is no life’ in Gaza.
Humanitarian Crisis
The US and Iran are trying to turn their truce into long-term peace, but residents of the Strip say they are living in the ashes of what they see as another impotent US-led deal. Israel has barred foreign journalists from independently reporting in Gaza since the start of the war.
More than eight months after the ceasefire deal was signed, there is little sign of progress. Instead, Gazans face a ‘dangerous status quo,’ warned Nikolay Mladenov, a former UN official. The death toll is steadily mounting, with at least 1,059 people killed and 3,429 injured in Gaza by Israeli attacks since the ceasefire deal was signed.
Those living in Gaza say diplomats’ references to ‘peace’ do not reflect their reality – where the brutality of war has endured. ‘You can be bombed anytime in any place,’ said Sally Saleh, an aid worker displaced in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. ‘There is no actual ceasefire here.’
Displacement and Humanitarian Issues
More than 1.9 million people – nearly all of Gaza’s population – have been displaced, according to the UN, many multiple times. The number has remained stubbornly static, aggravating inhumane consequences of long-term homelessness.
Rats, cockroaches, and weasels run amok, tearing through limp tent sheets and biting children and newborn babies in their sleep. In some cases, they are ‘directly attacking people,’ said Saleh. Elderly people and those with disabilities are less able to avoid rodents, especially at night.
The Israeli government last month said it was launching a ‘large-scale pest control campaign’ with the UN at a number of sites. However, human rights agencies say it is not enough, citing Israeli restrictions on the entry of power generations and spare parts and the killing of relief workers entrusted with distributing aid.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
