As many residents in Gaza marked a somber start to a three-day holiday that caps the month of Ramadan, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon once again renewed his calls for leaders in Israel and the Gaza Strip to agree to a humanitarian pause in fighting.
Three weeks of violence have left many parts of the Gaza Strip in ruins. More than 1,000 Gaza residents have been killed and more than 6,000 injured. Israel has lost 43 soldiers and three civilians.
The WorldPost spoke to Rene Celaya, country director for the West Bank and Gaza for the humanitarian agency CARE International, about what it's like to live in Gaza right now. The organization has been working in the area since 1948. Celaya, who is currently stationed in Jerusalem, urged the two sides to come to a "lasting ceasefire agreement" so that humanitarian aid can be delivered.
What does life in Gaza look like today?
Gaza looks as if there’s been a massive earthquake and you’re waiting for the next aftershock. You don’t know where to go. You don’t know what is safe. Should you stay inside? Should you go outside? What building is going to crumble next?
People are living day to day, taking care of their families as best as they can. They try to find a neighbor or a family member to move to. 160,000 people moved to U.N. settlement areas.
Which doesn’t always guarantee safety, as we’ve learned in the past days.
Sadly, that is very true. There’s really nowhere safe to go, and that is one of the key challenges. With the continued restrictions [Israel has ordered evacuations for many civilians in Gaza], even less space is available. You can go to a designated U.N. shelter, but recent days have shown that’s not 100 percent safe either. It’s hard to imagine having a family and trying to figure out what to do.
What’s currently the biggest humanitarian challenge in Gaza?
The biggest challenge is the ongoing fighting. It is not possible for many humanitarian workers to actually access communities and neighborhoods that need support. The biggest challenge would be to come to a durable and lasting ceasefire agreement, so that humanitarian aid can be provided and that communities can get back to their daily lives.
The one area that CARE is focusing on is the medical area. There have been so many injuries -- over 6,000 people are injured, over 1,000 have been killed. Our partner, the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, actually was able to go out to a couple of neighborhoods during the humanitarian ceasefire on Saturday and provided some services to about 128 people and another 143 on Sunday. They’ve mostly provided emergency medical first aid and medication through a mobile clinic.
While the medical area is definitely key, other sectors are in dire conditions as well: water and electricity, for example.
There have been many reports of a lack of water.
A lot of the infrastructure for water and electricity has been destroyed or suffered significant damage.
How was the situation before the fighting?
The situation was quite stark to begin with. The recent destruction has only made things worse. The water resources for Gaza are limited. Gaza did have some water processing plants, but some of those have been damaged.
How do people get water now?
That’s a day-to-day challenge now for most people in Gaza. Many people have lost their homes, so their access to water in particular depends on finding a public faucet or getting water from other neighbors that do still have water. In some parts, electricity has been reduced to two hours a day and some of the water resources depend on pumps. So the water they are currently accessing is not of good quality and certainly not enough in quantity.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
The Wartime Updates You Need To Know
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
HuffPost is dedicated to covering the devastating war between Hamas and Israel. We've broken news on the famine in Gaza, the State Department's turmoil, as well as what Hamas is thinking now — and we're far from done. HuffPost is committed to bringing you the critical updates you need to know. Would you consider contributing as little as $2 to support our reporting? Thank you for your support.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.