The exodus from the Shujaiya district east of Gaza City comes after days of reported intense bombardment by the Israeli army, whose tanks were seen “about 100 meters from Salah El Din road, the main north-south axis.” ” to the east.
“People in this area told us about the looming famine, and about people having to eat leaves or just flour to survive,” said the United Nations aid agency supporting Palestinian refugees. said. UNRWA.
Grief and loss
In a written exchange with UN News, Senior Communications Officer Louise Wateridge described the devastation in the affected areas, which span some seven square kilometers – as “apocalyptic – most people have lost their homes, completely or partially, and had to flee with very few belongings; basically what they can carry in their hands. Many people have lost their family members.”
“Pregnant women and people with disabilities are among the most vulnerable as they cannot easily move around during forced displacement, and there is also great concern for the thousands of unaccompanied and separated children,” Ms Wateridge added.
The violence also prevented the agency from reaching its distribution center in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City, “due to its proximity to the front line.”
Of the approximately 84,000 people currently displaced, some 10,600 have found shelter in a total of 27 locations, including UNRWA schools, which house temporary health posts and are under increasing pressure to meet demand.
Others are in schools, government buildings and open areas, the UN agency spokesman continued.
Forced out again
To help those displaced by the latest escalation in the conflict, sparked nine months ago by Hamas-led terrorist attacks and hostage-taking in multiple locations across southern Israel, the UN agency has been distributing water, food and flour.
Distribution of diapers, mattresses and tarps is also scheduled for today, Ms. Wateridge said, noting that some of the agency’s fuel needs were delivered Sunday via the barrier road. away from Gaza and Israel.
Limited amounts of diesel have also been brought into the area to run hospital generators and desalination plants but demand remains huge, humanitarians have repeatedly warned.
According to the latest update from the United Nations aid coordination office, OCHALimited access, insecurity and ongoing hostilities continued to “significantly hinder” the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance and services across Gaza.
“This includes vital food and nutrition aid, medical care, shelter support, water, sanitation and hygiene services to hundreds of thousands of people in need,” OCHA said on Thursday. Six, note that Israeli authorities have facilitated less than half of the more than 100 planned, coordinated humanitarian aid missions to reach northern Gaza this month..
“The rest were obstructed, denied access or destroyed for logistical, operational or security reasons.”
OCHA also noted that a military operation in the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis sent “dozens of casualties” to a nearby field hospital and displaced at least 5,000 people, according to the sources. partners on the ground.
Scene of destruction
Amid the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Rafah that began last month, southern Gaza “now resembles apocalyptic scenes in the north and Gaza City,” the UNRWA officer noted.
As the largest UN aid agency in Gaza, UNRWA has continued to provide “as many humanitarian services and supplies as possible – providing food, health care and even schooling activities for children; but the UN has been largely unable to provide any form of response due to the Israeli-imposed siege,” Wateridge explained.
“Lack of fuel; lack of supplies; lack of safety; and the surroundings are absolutely difficult for our people who are struggling to survive throughout this war.”
