United Nations, April 30 Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip continue to hit residential areas and disrupt basic services, UN humanitarians have said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Wednesday (Local time) said that a recent airstrike reportedly hit non-governmental organisation workers at a water well in Gaza City. One of them was killed, and four were injured.
The well was heavily damaged, and on-site work has been suspended, OCHA quoted its partners as saying.
Activities were also suspended at another water filling point, Al Mansoura, where two civilian truck drivers contracted by the UN Children's Fund were also recently killed, said the office.
Despite the attacks, partners working on water said overall water production has not yet fallen and that they were filling gaps by sourcing more clean water to deliver by truck. They stressed that people's water needs are far from being met: some 60 per cent of families cannot access enough clean water, said OCHA.
Humanitarians warned that current arrangements regarding water supply are costly and not sustainable. They rely heavily on increased fuel, oil, generators, spare parts, trucks and a devastated pipe network that is wholly inadequate. The United Nations has been engaging with authorities so these and other critical items can enter Gaza. Without them, water production and other services are at serious risk of collapse, said the office.
OCHA stressed that civilians and civilian objects, including critical facilities that people rely on to meet their basic needs, must be protected, in line with international humanitarian law, reports Xinhua news agency.
Humanitarian operations continue across all sectors, it said.
On Tuesday, the world body and humanitarian partners collected additional food, medicine, and hygiene items at the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem border crossing. They also supported the medical evacuation of two dozen patients and their companions, and offered protection and other services to nearly 50 returnees.
Also on Tuesday, the United Nations recovered broken trucks from hard-to-reach areas where Israeli forces remain deployed. And nearly 100 humanitarian staff crossed in or out of Gaza, a routine but essential cycle to ease pressure and prevent burnout among front-line teams working in extremely challenging conditions, said OCHA.
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