Doctors in Gaza are reporting a catastrophic fuel shortage, forcing hospitals to close vital wards and place several babies in a single incubator. This warning comes from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), according to CNN.

“Hospitals are being forced to impose strict austerity measures, ambulances are being stopped, and the water supply is on the brink of collapse. Mortality rates could rise sharply if the Israeli authorities do not allow new fuel supplies to be delivered urgently,” OCHA said.

Blockade and shortage of spare parts exacerbate the crisis

An 11-week blockade of humanitarian aid earlier this year brought more than 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip to the brink of starvation. Limited supplies resumed in May, but humanitarian organizations stress that they are still insufficient.

CNN reached out to COGAT, the Israeli agency that coordinates aid deliveries to Gaza, for comment but has not yet received a response.

The director of Al-Ahli Hospital posted a photo on social media showing several newborns lying in a single incubator. The photo was taken at another hospital, Al-Khulu.

“This tragic overcrowding is a direct result of the war and the suffocating blockade that has destroyed the entire healthcare system,” wrote Dr. Fadel Naim.

“If fuel does not arrive, there will be mass deaths.”

The director of Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, told CNN that in the absence of fuel, they are forced to close dialysis units to focus on intensive care and operating rooms.

“If fuel does not arrive within a few hours, the hospital will completely shut down. This will lead to the death of a large number of patients, including 22 babies in incubators,” said Dr. Mohammad Abu Silmiya.

Footage from the hospital shows doctors working with flashlights.

The Nasser Medical Complex said that fuel reserves would only last for 24 hours and that it was currently being used only for maternity wards and intensive care.

“Without fuel, it's not just hospitals that will collapse”

Fuel is vital for all basic services in Gaza, from water treatment and transportation to rescue operations. The Gaza Ministry of Health says that problems with spare parts for generators have compounded the fuel shortage.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to find spare parts to replace worn-out generators,” the ministry explained.

The main generator at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital has broken down and there are no spare parts for repairs. A low-powered backup generator is currently being used, but it only has enough fuel for a few hours. The lives of hundreds of patients are at risk.

Doctors Without Borders: “This is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis”

The organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded access for aid.

“Our teams are doing everything they can, but indiscriminate strikes and the blockade are threatening the lives of millions of people,” MSF said in a statement.

“We call on the Israeli authorities and the governments that are enabling these atrocities, including the UK government, to end the blockade and prevent the disappearance of Palestinians from Gaza.”