SAFA — The United Nations (UN) has warned that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is rapidly worsening, with the overwhelming majority of residents increasingly dependent on humanitarian assistance as hunger deepens amid Israeli restrictions.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said during a press briefing in New York on Thursday that 94% of Gaza’s estimated 2.1 million residents urgently need adequate shelter and basic household supplies.

Dujarric said families are facing alarming levels of hunger, with four in five households experiencing critical or catastrophic food insecurity.

He also highlighted a widening funding gap that is hampering efforts to meet the needs of Gaza’s population.

Humanitarian partners working on shelter require approximately $562 million to implement an emergency response, but less than a quarter of that amount has been secured.

The most vulnerable cases require an additional $165 million in urgent funding, he said.

Dujarric further warned that efforts to clear rubble and recover bodies remain severely restricted by Israeli restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery and other essential equipment into Gaza.

Such equipment is also urgently needed to remove accumulated waste and prevent further deterioration of sanitation conditions.

The United Nations renewed its call for the protection of Palestinian civilians and critical infrastructure across the Gaza Strip, warning that humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.

According to the UN, around two-thirds of families are living in tents or temporary shelters, many of which are rapidly deteriorating under harsh weather conditions, leaving already vulnerable Palestinians increasingly exposed to the elements.