UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 3 — Humanitarians need to be able to work unimpeded in Gaza City, as many international organizations have been forced to suspend their work there, said a UN official on Thursday.
Israel’s issuing displacement orders does not take away the parties to the conflict’s obligations under international humanitarian law, since many civilians remain in Gaza City and must be protected, said UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher.
Doctors Without Borders announced on Sept. 26 that it was suspending operations in Gaza City. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday it was temporarily suspending operations in the city and relocating staff to southern Gaza.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported last week that since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, 543 aid workers had been confirmed killed in Gaza, including 304 UNRWA personnel.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the world body and its humanitarian partners continue to operate in the north, to the extent possible, and on Thursday, humanitarians successfully transferred some fuel to that area to power critical facilities that people rely on for their survival.
OCHA said that people continue to be displaced from northern Gaza. In only 10 hours on Wednesday, partners tracking population movements counted 6,700 people fleeing to the south. More than 417,000 displacements have been recorded since mid-August.
“OCHA has received reports of intense strikes in recent days in parts of Deir al-Balah, one of the places where people have been told to move,” the office said.
“Tents, houses and even a crowded market have been hit, with the UN Human Rights Office reporting that many of those killed appear to be civilians.”
OCHA said that families in southern Gaza are squeezed into overcrowded shelters or makeshift tents along the coast. Many others are sleeping out in the open, often amid rubble.
New arrivals in the south face poor sanitation, no privacy or safety, and a high risk of children being separated from their families — all while being exposed to explosive ordnance.
“Families are selling their essential belongings to pay for transport,” the office said. “Those who cannot afford it are forced to walk, which is especially hard for families with mobility challenges.”
OCHA said that the United Nations and its partners have expanded medical services to support people in the south. Work also continues to rehabilitate shelters there. (Xinhua)
