UN Warns of Critical Fuel Shortage in Gaza
UN Warns of Critical Fuel Shortage in Gaza
————————–
The United Nations announced on Saturday that fuel supplies in Gaza have reached “critical levels,” The Guardian reported. Fuel is urgently needed to transport essential goods across the Gaza Strip and to operate bakeries that produce fresh bread for the population affected by the crisis.
The UN warned that without fuel, vital lifelines for 2.1 million people—who are already “teetering on the edge of starvation”—will disappear.
The statement emphasized that without sufficient fuel, humanitarian efforts in Gaza face collapse. Hospitals are experiencing power outages, with maternity, neonatal, and intensive care units failing, and ambulances unable to operate. Blocked roads and disrupted transport will trap those in need. Telecommunications systems are at risk of shutting down, severely hindering lifesaving coordination and cutting families off from crucial information and each other.
Additionally, bakeries and community kitchens cannot function without fuel. Water production and sanitation services are also at risk of shutting down, leaving families without access to safe drinking water. Meanwhile, solid waste and sewage will accumulate in the streets, increasing the risk of deadly disease outbreaks and pushing Gaza’s most vulnerable residents closer to death.
The UN acknowledged the arrival of a small amount of fuel into Gaza this week—the first in 130 days—but stressed that it represents only a “small fraction” of the daily fuel needed to sustain critical services and everyday life.
