Roundup: Gaza starvation deaths continue to rise: UN

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Casualties from the acute lack of food mount as airstrikes and bombardment across Gaza continue to kill, injure and displace people and destroy civilian infrastructure, said UN humanitarians on Wednesday.

The Gaza health authorities reported Wednesday that eight people suffering the effects of malnourishment and starvation, including three children, died in the previous 24 hours.

"Such reports have become a daily occurrence, reflecting the deepening humanitarian crisis and the urgent need for sustained assistance," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

OCHA said that in the current year, more than 340 children have been admitted for malnutrition treatment at one of five treatment centers in Gaza. As of Aug. 5, a total of 49 child deaths from malnutrition had been reported, including 39 children under the age of 5.

After Israel questioned the veracity of Gaza health authorities' malnutrition death reports, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at a recent briefing that the world body found it to be true in the past.

OCHA said the United Nations and its partners collected data from more than 900 households across Gaza in July, which indicated continuous trauma leading to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Many people are living in informal shelters that are overcrowded, unsafe and lack space and privacy, especially for women and children.

The office said that its humanitarian partners working on protection started providing mental health and psychosocial support for their traumatized care teams in Gaza through "care for carers" sessions.

Households continue to report poor sanitation and lack of clean water, said OCHA, while in southern Gaza, the Israeli-supplied water pipeline, Mekorot, has remained damaged for almost a week now.

The office said UN teams in Gaza collected some more food and fuel from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Zikim crossings on Tuesday. More than half of the 15 missions coordinated with the Israeli authorities were facilitated, the remaining ones were either denied, impeded or canceled.

OCHA said shelter items are a priority since supplies have run out, exposing people to the summer heat and unprotected when winter comes. "Many tents and tarpaulins need to be replaced ... This is particularly urgent amid the announced expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza City, which would have catastrophic consequences for people."

The entry of goods has somewhat improved the market situation in terms of both prices and availability, but the amount of aid that can be brought into Gaza does not meet the minimum requirements of people who are starving, the office said. ■