Israel V Hamas: ‘Mental health crisis unfolding in Gaza’ – UNOCHA

Intense and long-term exposure to traumatic events is having a psychological toll on Gaza’s health workers, reports Médecins Sans Frontières.

“Mental health crisis unfolding in Gaza” – UNOCHA. Photo: @UNOCHA

UNICEF and the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility inaugurate a solar-powered water desalination plant in Rafah, with the latter warning that the entire water and sanitation system is nearing collapse.

Nearly 37.5 million tons of conflict-generated debris are estimated to be present throughout Gaza, UN agencies assess.

Gaza Strip Updates

1. Israeli bombardment from the air, land, and sea continues to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of houses and other civilian infrastructure. Intensive strikes on Rafah also continue to be reported, with at least 36 reported fatalities since 27 April.
2. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, has recently emphasized the need to restrict the global use of explosive weapons in line with the 2022 Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA). Globally, some 50 million people are currently affected by urban warfare, including 2.3 million people in Gaza, where thousands of tons of munitions have been dropped with wide-ranging short-term and reverberating effects.
3. Between the afternoons of 26 and 29 April, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, 132 Palestinians were killed and 275 injured, including 34 killed and 68 injured in the last 24 hours. Between 7 October 2023 and 12:30 on 29 April 2024, at least 34,488 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 77,643 Palestinians were injured, according to MoH in Gaza.