UN Warns Gaza Faces Critical Fuel Shortage Crisis

UN Warns Gaza Fuel Shortage Threatens Total Collapse of Essential Services

Multiple United Nations agencies have issued a grave warning that **fuel supplies in Gaza have reached critically low levels**, threatening to bring **life-saving services to a complete standstill** for over **two million people**.

In a **joint statement**, the **UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)**, **World Food Programme (WFP)**, **World Health Organisation (WHO)**, **United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)**, and **United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)** stressed that without immediate fuel deliveries, **hospitals, bakeries, water networks, and ambulances will cease to function**.

> “A total depletion of fuel would place an unbearable burden on a population already teetering on the brink of famine,” the agencies warned.

Fuel: The Lifeline of Gaza’s Fragile Infrastructure

Gaza’s **electricity and public services rely heavily on fuel**, particularly due to the extensive damage to infrastructure and continued restrictions on power supply. The UN agencies emphasized that even basic humanitarian operations — from distributing food and water to operating clinics and sanitation facilities — will **come to a halt** without adequate fuel.

> “If fuel runs out, we will be forced to shut down all our humanitarian operations. That means no food, no water, no healthcare, and no emergency response,” the statement said.

Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

Gaza is already facing **extreme hardship**, with **widespread food insecurity** and limited access to clean water and medical care. The threat of **famine** looms large, particularly for vulnerable populations including **children, the elderly, and the sick**.

The UN agencies have called on all parties and stakeholders to **urgently facilitate fuel deliveries** and ensure **unimpeded humanitarian access**, warning that time is rapidly running out.

> “Gaza’s population cannot survive without fuel. The world must act now to prevent a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe,” the statement concluded.