UNITED NATIONS, November 10. /TASS/. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has appealed to donors and partners to allocate $481 mln in humanitarian aid needed to sustain Palestinians until the end of 2023, the agency said in a statement published on its website.

"In response to the unprecedented devastation in the Gaza Strip and increasing needs in the West Bank, UNRWA is launching an expanded Flash Appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory. The Agency is requesting US$ 481 million to address the most critical humanitarian needs of people impacted in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, until the end of this year," the statement reads.

According to UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini, the agency's resources are "stretched to the limits." The report notes that more than 720,000 people are housed in 150 UNRWA shelters across the Gaza Strip in "appalling" conditions, where "hundreds are sharing one toilet and a shower." The agency emphasizes that despite the increase in humanitarian aid in recent days, only small amounts of food, water and basic necessities continue to reach the enclave. "Last week in Gaza, children asked me if I had a piece of bread or a sip of water. It was one of the saddest moments," said Lazzarini.

The UNRWA has already appealed to donors and partners to financially support the agency's work in the wake of the escalation in the Gaza Strip. On October 12, the organization requested $104 mln to provide multisectoral humanitarian assistance to the residents of the enclave over the next month and a half.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel has announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and has been delivering air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also underway in the West Bank.