The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating due to Israel's total blockade on the entry of both humanitarian and commercial goods, while hostilities continue.Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, said during the daily press briefing in New York that humanitarian partners reported preparing around 454,000 meals on Friday, down from 838,000 meals the day before. He added that since late April, more than 80 community kitchens have been forced to shut down due to a lack of supplies, and the number continues to rise. This is worsening widespread hunger in Gaza, where the ready-to-eat meals provided by these kitchens are among the last remaining lifelines for the population.He noted that UN teams and their partners on the ground remain in daily contact with Israeli occupation authorities and ‘any actors with influence over the humanitarian situation in Gaza'' emphasizing that their focus is ‘on how to fully lift the blockade and facilitate principled humanitarian operations that leave no one in need behind.’
