NEW YORK, August 21, 2026 (WAFA) — UN Secretary-General's spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that 94% of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are in need of shelter and basic household supplies amid the continued Israeli occupation and blockade of the territory.
Dujarric made the remarks during a press briefing in New York on Thursday evening marking World Humanitarian Day, observed on August 19, in which he provided an update on developments in the Middle East.
Citing reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric said reports continue to emerge of Palestinian civilians in Gaza being killed, injured or otherwise harmed by Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling and gunfire.
He said four out of every five families are facing critical or catastrophic levels of hunger in shelters that are already suffering from shortages of fuel, energy and basic household supplies.
These restrictions, he added, are severely affecting people’s ability to sleep, prepare food, bathe, store food and water, secure adequate lighting, and cope with high temperatures.
Dujarric also said the bodies of 50 Palestinians believed to have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza over a prolonged period had been recovered from beneath the rubble and buried.
He noted that efforts to clear rubble and recover victims’ remains remain extremely difficult, with operations hampered by restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery, spare parts and other essential materials, as well as restrictions on access to large areas of the Gaza Strip.
M.N
