The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, Mark Lowcock the allocation of $22.5 million to respond to the humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip.

"As of May 21, the escalation of hostilities in Gaza had killed at least 242 Palestinians, including 66 children and 38 women, and injured more than 1,900 people," said Lowcock in a statement

"The violence has displaced more than 77,000 Palestinians who were seeking protection in 58 UNRWA schools, and there are still about a thousand people whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged," he added.

The UN official explained that the bombing caused massive damage to the civilian infrastructure in Gaza, affecting water, sanitation and hygiene services for hundreds of thousands of citizens.

Lowcock warned that the lack of electrical power and damage to the central laboratory of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which handles Coronavirus tests, impedes the provision of health care in dozens of centers throughout the Strip.