The head of the United Nations relief agency in Gaza warned that food aid to 650,000 people and sewage and garbage collection will have to be suspended today if the Israeli fuel blockade is not lifted. A Libyan diplomat in the Security Council did not help matters when he compared Gaza to a Nazi death camp, prompting the walkout of the entire western contingent. In typical diplomatic understatement, a British official said afterwards, “A number of Council members were dismayed by the approach taken by Libya and do not believe that such language helps advance the peace process.”
Meanwhile, prior to the walkout, Assistant Secretary General Angela Kane had this to say to the Security Council. From the BBC
“[The UN relief agency] Unrwa’s fuel supplies will be exhausted on 24 April, and in an effort to save fuel, Unrwa has prioritised food distribution, solid waste removal, and sewage projects…
“Unless petrol is allowed in, Unrwa will discontinue its food assistance to 650,000 refugees, as well as its garbage collection services, which benefit half a million Gazans,”
“Another 500,000 Gazans are already living in 12 municipalities without any solid waste management capacity – largely due to the lack of fuel.”
Hospitals and clinics will also run out of fuel within a week, she warned.
Public transport has been severely curtailed by the shortage of vehicle fuel, meaning that children cannot get to school and adults to work. Some car owners have converted their engines to run on cooking oil.
The fuel restrictions are an Israeli response to a Hamas attack on a fuel depot, which killed two Israeli soldiers.