An aid agency is warning that a lack of aid reaching Gaza is forcing Palestinians to search through destroyed buildings for basic necessities, putting them at risk of death or injury from unexploded bombs.
“Civilians in Gaza are caught in a relentless cycle of destruction, displacement, and despair,” said the Danish Refugee Council in a new report.
“Decades of occupation, blockade, and siege have been compounded by the catastrophic use of explosive weapons in one of the world’s most densely populated areas.
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“The human cost is staggering with more than 44,000 people killed, 90 percent of the population displaced, and essential infrastructure obliterated.”
The report said that civilians were left grappling with “unimaginable risks” from widespread destruction to the deadly legacy of explosive ordinance (EO) contamination.
“Nearly everyone in Gaza has felt the devastating impact. Homes reduced to rubble, schools and hospitals targeted, and basic services like water and healthcare brought to a standstill,” the report said.
“Families face a grim reality, uprooted an average of six times, often returning to areas that have seen active fighting which are likely riddled with explosive ordnance.
War remnants ‘mistaken for toys’
“Children, tragically, are among the most vulnerable, mistaking deadly remnants of war for toys.”
This report has exposed the far-reaching consequences of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in Gaza, “revealing a dire reality for a population trapped in danger”.
It underscores the devastating toll of impunity and disregard for international humanitarian law, which continues to result in immense suffering of civilians.
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.