The Gaza Strip is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe due to a severe fuel shortage caused by an Israeli-imposed blockade, United Nations agencies warned in a joint statement on Saturday.

The restrictions, which have crippled essential services, threaten the survival of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.

The UN described fuel as “the backbone of survival” in Gaza, where hospitals, water systems, bakeries, ambulances, and sanitation services are shutting down amid a lack of supply. “Maternity, neonatal, and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances are grounded,” humanitarian workers reported, labeling the crisis a “manufactured catastrophe.” The blockade exacerbates an already dire situation marked by starvation, displacement, and ongoing Israeli military operations.

For the first time in 130 days, Israel permitted 75,000 litres of fuel to enter Gaza over two days this week, a quantity UN officials called “grossly inadequate.” Stéphane Dujarric, UN spokesperson, described the situation as “dire and worsening daily,” condemning the blockade’s deadly impact. “Every day without a ceasefire brings more preventable deaths—children dying in pain, and hungry people shot while seeking aid,” he said.

Israeli authorities have also obstructed humanitarian access, with Dujarric noting that fuel deliveries to northern Gaza were denied, while only six of 15 coordinated aid missions were fully permitted on Thursday. One delayed mission to rescue Palestinians trapped under rubble in Gaza City arrived too late to save lives. Essential supplies, including tents and shelter materials, have been blocked for over four months, leaving displaced families exposed to harsh conditions.

UN agencies urgently called for unrestricted fuel deliveries and full humanitarian access to all parts of Gaza, warning that without immediate action, the enclave faces a “total collapse of humanitarian aid.” The statement condemned the situation as a “preventable chapter in the systematic annihilation of a trapped and defenseless population,” urging global attention to the escalating crisis. (ILKHA)