The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned of the severe humanitarian consequences of the ongoing blockade on Gaza, which has now entered its ninth week, stressing that Israel has been blocking the entry of all humanitarian, medical, and commercial supplies into the territory for over nine weeks.

In a statement issued today, UNRWA highlighted that thousands of its trucks are on standby, ready to enter the enclave, along with its teams in Gaza, which are fully prepared to expand aid delivery operations.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also issued a statement, emphasising that “Palestinians are dying in Gaza, which has been under a total Israeli blockade for the third consecutive month as part of an ongoing destruction campaign lasting more than a year and a half.” It noted that 70 percent of Palestinians in Gaza live in areas under the presence of Israeli forces, face displacement orders, or both.

OCHA affirmed that the United Nations and its partners are prepared to intensify their humanitarian aid to Gaza immediately once the Israeli blockade, in place since 2nd March, is lifted.

In related news, Palestinian medical sources reported a critical shortage of essential medical supplies and devices for eye surgeries in Gaza, revealing that 1,500 residents of the enclave have lost their sight due to the conflict, while another 4,000 are at risk of blindness.