The UN noted on Monday that the Israeli military’s evacuation orders now cover nearly 86 percent of the Gaza Strip, News.Az reported, citing Anadolu news agency.
“Our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that repeated waves of displacement, combined with overcrowding, insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, active hostilities and limited services, are worsening the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is already catastrophic,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a news conference.
Dujarric pointed out that the latest Israeli evacuation order issued on Saturday affects about 13,500 displaced Palestinians in 18 locations. The order covers the entire Al-Maghazi refugee camp and several neighborhoods in the central Deir al-Balah region of the Gaza Strip.
“Initial mapping shows that the areas recently under evacuation order include five school buildings, 14 water, sanitation and health facilities, and 10 health sites, including two primary health care centers and five medical care posts,” he said.
“Since October, evacuation orders have been issued for 86 percent of the Gaza Strip, or around 314 square kilometers (over 121 square miles),” Dujarric said, adding that people were concentrated in a zone designated by Israeli authorities in the southern area of Al-Mawasi, where population density had risen to 30,000 to 34,000 people per square kilometer.
Dujarric also delivered a message from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on World Humanitarian Day, saying that humanitarian workers are “working to alleviate the hardship and suffering” of those suffering around the world.
He said 2023 was “the deadliest year for humanitarian workers on record.”
“In Gaza, Sudan and many other places, humanitarian workers are being attacked, killed, injured and kidnapped along with the civilians they support.”
The UN chief called for an end to attacks on all aid workers and civilians, saying: “It is not enough to celebrate humanitarian workers. We all must do more to protect and safeguard our common humanity.”
News.Az
