OCHA said that during the past week, there were reports of airstrikes on tents and residential buildings, with scores of people reportedly killed, including medical staff and their families, mostly in Gaza City and Deir al-Balah.

UNITED NATIONS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza fuel blockade has cut off water from 10 wells in the north of the Gaza Strip and threatens 25 more partially functioning wells, UN humanitarians said Wednesday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the Gaza Ministry of Health announced that the generator at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis was about to shut down, threatening the lives of dozens of patients, especially those on ventilators.

"Shorter pumping hours, reduced water production and limited solid waste collection provide fertile ground for diseases to spread, especially among vulnerable people, including children, older people and pregnant women," said OCHA.

The office said its partners on the ground have expressed concerns over an increase in suspected cases of meningitis among children under five, particularly in Khan Younis and Gaza governorates. Cases of bloody diarrhea and acute jaundice syndrome have also been reported at overcrowded displacement sites.

"The shortage of medical and cleaning supplies has severe health repercussions and impedes a proper response," the office said. "We are calling for the entry into Gaza of hygiene kits and cleaning supplies. And just as a reminder, since early March, no hygiene items have entered."

OCHA said that during the past week, there were reports of airstrikes on tents and residential buildings, with scores of people reportedly killed, including medical staff and their families, mostly in Gaza City and Deir al-Balah. The Ministry of Health reported that more than 1,500 medical staff have been killed since October 2023, when the Gaza war began.

As people across Gaza try to find food, mass casualty incidents continue to be reported.

"Our partners working in health are providing services to those injured during these mass casualty incidents, despite very limited resources," OCHA said. "The lack of supplies is putting more pressure on hospitals already operating under severe strain and facing critical shortages of fuel, medicines and medical supplies, as well as blood and blood products."

The World Health Organization reported that 11 trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, carrying surgical supplies, assistive devices, orthopedic instruments and other essential medical items to be distributed to health facilities.

"This is obviously a positive development but meets just a fraction of what's needed in the Gaza Strip," said OCHA. "We call for the opening of all crossings, corridors and routes to ensure the consistent, frequent and large-scale distribution of aid to people in need, wherever they are."

Once again, the office said that humanitarian movements inside Gaza remain limited.

Out of 10 attempts to coordinate movements with the Israeli authorities Tuesday, only three were fully facilitated for the collection of medical supplies and the removal of debris, said OCHA. Another three attempts were denied outright. The remaining four had to be canceled by the organizers.