10 countries warn of ‘catastrophic’ Gaza situation

London: Foreign ministers of 10 countries on Tuesday expressed “grave concern” over the “renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in Gaza, saying the situation was “catastrophic”.

Ministers from the UK, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland said in a joint statement issued by the UK Foreign Office: “As winter approaches, civilians in Gaza face dire conditions with heavy rains and falling temperatures.” he said.

“1.3 million people still need urgent shelter support. More than half of health facilities are only partially functioning and face shortages of basic medical equipment and supplies. The complete collapse of sanitation infrastructure has left 740,000 people vulnerable to toxic floods,” the statement said.