“Gaza is on the brink of health catastrophe, while millions of dollars worth of life-saving aid are stuck in warehouses due to the blockade imposed by Israel, which is preventing its entry and distribution”. This is what Oxfam denounces, faced with a humanitarian situation that is worsening day by day, due to the lack of food and drinking water.

Since March 2, Israel has imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza, essentially halting the entry of much of the aid. Tons of goods are stuck outside the Strip."The consequence is that stocks of essential goods inside Gaza are exhausted," the organization reports,"while 420,000 pallets of aid remain piled up in warehouses across the region, waiting to be distributed to the population. Tents, food, nutritional supplements to combat malnutrition, life-saving medicines, and hygiene items cover an area of 75 hectares, the size of 101 football pitches." The same fate has befallen the aid sent by Oxfam and held in warehouses in Egypt and Jordan: "110,000 packages of jerry cans, water purifiers, materials for installing toilets, diapers, soap, and food."

Malnutrition and the lack of clean water also make people more fragile and more exposed to disease. Over the past three months, Oxfam writes,"the spread of easily preventable diseases caused by the use of dirty water has increased by an average of almost 150%. Specifically, health data provided by various agencies show that cases of dysentery have risen by 302%, watery diarrhea by 150%, and jaundice by 101%. These figures, however, are underestimated, given that the majority of the two million Palestinians trapped in Gaza have virtually no access to the few remaining health facilities." These diseases could easily spread in the coming weeks, with dramatic effects among a population already severely weakened by 21 months of deprivation, including food and water shortages, displacement, and appalling hygienic conditions.

"If we want to prevent further deaths in Gaza from the spread of epidemics, we must act before it's too late," explains Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's policy director in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Gaza."It's very hot in Gaza, there's no clean water or food, and people live in overcrowded and unsanitary spaces. This is a breeding ground for diseases that, while preventable, can become lethal. An immediate, large-scale humanitarian response is needed to avoid the worst. A total and permanent ceasefire is needed, and all border crossings must be reopened now to allow aid to enter."