The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Statement on severe fuel shortage in Gaza
Statement attributable to Jorge Moreira da Silva, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director.
Our fuel operation in Gaza is running out of stock and out of time.
My teams have worked since yesterday morning and through the night to recover the last remaining 150,000 litres of diesel from our storage tanks inside Gaza.
This is less than what the humanitarian operation requires in a single day.
Fuel is a lifeline in Gaza - it runs hospital generators, ambulances, bakeries and water pumps.
With no fuel having entered Gaza in more than 17 weeks, these critical operations are now shutting down.
The severe shortage already forces impossible choices on us on what to prioritize.
Yesterday, we prioritized fuel for the desalination plant over the sewage pumps. This means sewage will flood the streets again in some areas, on top of everything else.
When I visited Gaza in February 2025, I learned of three premature babies who had passed away, when the hospital could no longer power their incubators.
When humanitarian aid is cut, it is always the most vulnerable of all who suffer first.
I call for the immediate resumption of fuel entry to Gaza. This cannot wait.
The civilians in Gaza are enduring unimaginable suffering.
We need full, safe and sustained humanitarian access so aid can reach people.
We need fuel to run operations.
And we need an immediate permanent ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages.