UN official likens Gaza’s destruction to a disaster zone

The head of the UN Office for Project Services has compared the devastation in Gaza to the aftermath of “a massive earthquake”, warning that urgent recovery efforts are needed to prevent an even worse humanitarian crisis.

“What I saw in Gaza is similar to what you see in a massive earthquake, where things collapse completely,” Jorge Moreira da Silva said in a virtual press conference after visiting the besieged territory.

He stressed the immediate need to rebuild critical infrastructure, adding, “The recovery in Gaza is possible the same way that has been possible in places affected by massive earthquakes.”

Hospitals, he said, are grappling with extreme shortages of medical supplies, with life-threatening consequences. “Surgeries are being performed without anaesthesia, and infections are spreading due to the lack of antibiotics,” he said, noting that newborns are especially at risk.

Asked about US President Donald Trump’s proposal to seize control of Gaza and forcibly relocate its population, Moreira da Silva dismissed the idea. “Forced displacement is not consistent with international law,” he said. “Let’s not make the situation more difficult and complex than it is now.”