Gaza: Civilians are starving, displaced and trapped, world leaders must act now

Source: NRC

Aid workers of the Norwegian Refugee Council inside Gaza City and across the middle and southern parts of Gaza are witnessing spreading famine, intensifying bombardment and spiralling displacement. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) urged global leaders today to press Israel and Hamas for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, secure the release of hostages and Palestinian detainees, and allow civil society and aid agencies to operate freely in Gaza.

"In Gaza City, hundreds of thousands are encircled by shelling, drones and ground troops, denied aid, and ordered to move without safe passage. Life has been reduced to a fight for water and bread," said Jan Egeland, NRC's Secretary General. "World leaders talk of plans, but every day people here bury their children. Words mean nothing without action."

In the past six weeks alone, Israel has displaced more than 10,000 Palestinians daily, forcing nearly half a million people to flee south. Overcrowded shelters are forcing families to sleep in the open and on the streets, while water, food, medicine and shelter supplies trickle in at a fraction of what is needed. NRC provides lifesaving water at 12 displacement sites in Gaza City, but even these operations are threatened by bombardment and denied access.

President Trump's recently announced 20-point Gaza plan has drawn global attention. Its value will be measured not in words, but in whether aid agencies can deliver freely and Gaza's future is determined with, not imposed on, its people. "We welcome the plan's commitment to UN-led aid delivery, but this must be upheld. Civil society cannot be sidelined, and peace cannot be built on dictates," Egeland said.

Israel's latest offensive on Gaza City coincided with famine being declared there and the UN Commission of Inquiry determining that Israel is committing genocide. International efforts have not stopped the assault or compelled Israeli authorities to allow sufficient aid to reach civilians.

"For two years, Gaza's families have endured destruction, starvation, and relentless displacement. Our own staff have lost relatives, been displaced again and again, and still they go out to serve their neighbours," Egeland added. "The international community must not watch another year of atrocity unfold, it must act now to end the killing and open the crossings."

Between 14 August and 27 September, 446,115 Palestinians were displaced from Gaza City, where one million people lived before Israel's offensive, an average of 10,622 people each day.

NRC provides 87 cubic metres of water daily in Gaza City, reaching 11,500 people across 12 displacement sites. This is about 7.6 litres per person, 7.4 litres below global standards.

NRC's water trucking to some displacement sites was halted in recent days due to access constraints. Israel has damaged key water pipelines in Gaza City, intensifying displacement pressures. Sites and populations shift daily with Israeli troop movements, fuel remains scarce, airstrikes and drone attacks make every movement risky, and some suppliers have relocated assets to the south, threatening the shutdown of remaining services in the city.

In the south, people are crammed into a very limited area. Families often pay high sums to rent small plots of land. No housing is available, and services are overstretched and unable to cope.