The United Nations is appealing for $2.8 billion to provide desperately needed aid to 3 million Palestinians, stressing that tackling looming famine in war-torn Gaza requires not only food but sanitation,

Northern Gaza in particular is rapidly sinking into humanitarian disaster after months of military onslaught and choked aid supplies.

Andrea De Domenico, the head of the U.N. humanitarian office for Gaza and the West Bank, told reporters Tuesday that "massive operations" are required to restore those services and meet minimum standards – and this can't be done during military operations.