UN warns Gaza relief system is unsustainable; coordinator says civilians lack basics

The United Nations cautioned that Gaza's humanitarian response is unsustainable and that civilians are being deprived of the basics of survival.

Quoting Tom Fletcher, Under‑Secretary‑General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, the spokesperson said Mr. Fletcher told the Security Council that "civilians in Gaza cannot wait for more convenient diplomatic movement to receive the basics for survival," and that Gaza "is being held together by humanitarian workarounds and Palestinian perseverance." He warned that people are "squeezed into an ever‑shrinking strip of land" and that shifts in so‑called safe lines make seeking refuge precarious.

The briefing flagged public health concerns: partners have seen increases in ectoparasite‑related disease and rodent‑related illnesses as temperatures rise and sanitation services remain inadequate. Training for nearly 100 people in displacement sites to better detect and report disease was reported, but the spokesperson said supplies such as pesticides are being exhausted and new procurement and approvals — including from Israeli authorities for entry into the Gaza Strip — remain bottlenecks.

The UN framed these problems as urgent operational constraints rather than solely political disputes: partners are procuring supplies, but approval processes and limitations on permitted items are impeding timely delivery.

The spokesperson emphasized that access and sustained logistics are central to preventing further deterioration and that the conditions described by Mr. Fletcher cannot be sustained without faster, more reliable humanitarian access and protection of civilians.