(MENAFN) Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, states that the Gaza Strip is currently the most perilous location for providing humanitarian assistance.

Although the humanitarian needs are overwhelming, delivering even a small portion of the urgently needed aid has become nearly impossible, Fletcher mentioned in a statement.

"The Israeli authorities persist in blocking our access, with over 100 requests to reach North Gaza being refused," he noted.

"In January 2024, the International Court of Justice issued the first set of provisional orders regarding the case on the application of the Genocide Convention in Gaza," he continued, adding, "Less than a year later, the ongoing and intense violence means no place in Gaza is safe for civilians. Schools, hospitals, and civilian infrastructure have been destroyed."

He also pointed out that North Gaza has been under a near-complete blockade for over two months, raising the "threat of famine," while South Gaza is "overcrowded to an extreme degree, creating deplorable living conditions and amplifying humanitarian needs as winter approaches."

Throughout Gaza, Israeli airstrikes continue to hit densely populated areas, including locations where Israeli forces have instructed civilians to relocate, causing further destruction, displacement, and loss of life, he said.

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