UN deputy secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths has said the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is the “worst ever”.
Martin Griffiths claimed there was “appalling” human suffering in many places, but at least those affected could flee. From the Gaza Strip, on the other hand, he said, “people cannot leave”.
He also noted that the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip is entering a new phase where “disease and hunger are beginning to be the main cause of death and deprivation.” Griffiths said:
“I see these things all over the world, but it’s beyond my imagination. And it’s going to get worse. We have yet to see what is under the rubble. There are estimates of about 18,000 dead. Once you start digging under the rubble, the statistics change radically. In the case of the earthquake in Turkey, the death toll doubled.”
According to the latest figures, Israeli shelling in the Gaza Strip has killed 18,608 people and injured more than 50,594. The number of victims among Israelis is 1405 people, another 5.6 thousand suffered.
Earlier, on 12 December, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. 153 states, including Russia and China, voted in favour of the resolution, 10 countries were against it, and another 23 states abstained from voting.
