80% of Gazans now displaced: UN humanitarian coordinator

AFP
·3-min read
The United Nations has estimated that up to 250,000 people are impacted by the Israeli military order for civilians to leave the Khan Yunis area (Eyad BABA)
The United Nations has estimated that up to 250,000 people are impacted by the Israeli military order for civilians to leave the Khan Yunis area (Eyad BABA)

The UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza said Tuesday that 1.9 million people -- 80 percent of the territory's population -- were now displaced, adding she was "deeply concerned" by reports of new evacuation orders for Khan Yunis.

The United Nations has estimated that up to 250,000 people are impacted by the Israeli military order for civilians to leave parts of Khan Yunis and Rafah in Gaza, which has a total population of 2.4 million.

"Palestinian civilians in Gaza have been plunged into an abyss of suffering -- their home lives shattered, their lives upended," the UN coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, told the Security Council.

"Over one million people have been displaced once again, desperately seeking shelter and safety, (and) 1.9 million people are now displaced across Gaza," she said.

"I'm deeply concerned about reports of new evacuation orders issued in the area of Khan Yunis," Kaag added.

"The war has not merely created the most profound of humanitarian crises. It has unleashed a maelstrom of human misery."

She said that not enough aid was reaching the war-torn strip, and that the opening of new crossings, particularly to southern Gaza, was necessary to avert a humanitarian disaster.

Kaag said the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt should be reopened, and also pleaded with the international community to do more to fund relief efforts.

Aid volumes entering Gaza had "dropped significantly" since the start of the Israeli operation in Rafah, she added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman said "yesterday's orders for the evacuations of 117 square kilometers in Khan Yunis and Rafah governorates apply to about a third of the Gaza Strip, making it the largest such order since October."

"An evacuation of such a massive scale will only heighten the suffering of civilians," said the spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel -- which triggered the Israeli offensive -- resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, including 42 the army says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,925 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Israel has not specifically said there will be a military operation in southern Gaza, but so far nearly every evacuation order has heralded major battles.

Looking beyond the conflict, the UN ambassador for Security Council member Slovenia questioned whether a ceasefire would significantly ease the humanitarian crisis.

"What's the guarantee that it will be easier to deliver aid? Because there will be still checkpoints there... there will be still no trucks," said the envoy, Samuel Zbogar.

"There might be still problems, and big expectations, after a ceasefire."

gw/sst

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • UN says Israel evacuation order 'wiped out' bid to improve Gaza aid

    STORY: :: A senior U.N. aid official says an Israeli evacuation orderhas ‘wiped out’ attempts to improve aid deliveries in Gaza:: July 3, 2024:: Andrea De Domenico, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs:"In the last weeks we have been discussing a lot with the Israeli and the humanitarian community, how to resume our ability to bring assistance in from Karem Abu Salem, so inside Gaza and distribute throughout the Strip. And we have been engineering a lot of solutions and trying and testing, improving and failing at times - at times - and now with this evacuation order, all this has been, again, wiped out."Israel has been critical of U.N.-led aid operations in the enclave of 2.3 million people, where the U.N. says distribution is not only hampered by the nearly nine-month-long war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, but also lawlessness.Israel's military announced this month a daily daytime pause in attacks to facilitate the collection of aid from Kerem Shalom, but the U.N. has said the lawlessness means it is still too dangerous and it is Israel's responsibility to restore public order and safety in Gaza.De Domenico said that in the past few weeks there had been a lot of discussions with Israel on how to improve the situation. He added that said alternative plans were now blocked by the evacuation order, but he hoped a protection agreement could be reached with the Israeli military for some areas.

  • Injured person rushed to hospital after armed police attend serious incident

    A person has been taken to hospital by ambulance after armed police were called to a serious incident this evening. Emergency services were called after the alarm was raised in the Tilery area of Stockton just before 6pm. Get more from The Northern Echo and stay informed with subscription.

  • The world must prepare for President Michelle Obama

    The 2024 US Presidential race intensifies. Speculation abounds over potential replacements for President Joe Biden amid increasing pressure from his party and the media to step aside after a jaw-dropping, catastrophic debate against Donald Trump last week. Among the names circulating, a game-changer is emerging: Michelle Obama. Could this be America’s worst nightmare?

  • How bad could the general election result be for the Tories? Pollster John Curtice’s final prediction

    Leading pollster highlighted two key uncertainties in predicting final result

  • Justin Trudeau’s arrogant, woke tyranny is a chilling vision of life under Starmer

    According to one observer, Labour’s manifesto contains 27 references to new offices, regulators, quangos, councils and authorities. One of those includes the promise of “further measures to keep everyone safe online, particularly when using social media”. Which sounds wonderful. Who could be opposed to that?

  • Video appears to show gang-rape of Afghan woman in a Taliban jail

    Activist claims she was threatened with release of the footage in order to silence her, amid multiple reports of sexual violence inflicted upon imprisoned Afghan women

  • New Poll Finds 1 Democrat Absolutely Trouncing Trump

    Just one problem: This person doesn't seem interested in running, should the opportunity arise.

  • Labour’s plan for Britain should terrify us all

    If Sir Keir Starmer is prime minister this weekend, then the newly-elected Labour government will set Britain on a path backwards and towards bankruptcy.

  • Jay Slater ‘left the house alive’, says Airbnb host

    Missing British teenager Jay Slater “came to the house alive, and he left the house alive”, the Airbnb guest who put him up has insisted.

  • Jay Slater: London man who was with missing teenager at Tenerife Airbnb says: 'He left the house alive'

    ‘Jay came to the house alive and he left the house alive,’ says man who was with missing teenager at Tenerife AirBnB

  • What happens if Rishi Sunak loses his seat before general election result is called?

    Is the PM expected to resign immediately if he loses his seat, and are there any circumstances in which he could remain in No 10?

  • Zelensky U-turns as he invites Russia to attend peace summit without giving up land

    Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Russia to the next peace summit despite previously saying it could only join if it relinquished land in Ukraine.

  • Have the Houthis sunk a British warship? Here’s what actually happened

    Yesterday afternoon the Iranian-backed militia in Yemen, the Houthis, claimed they had targeted four ships which they deemed to belong to the US/UK/Israel “trio evil”. According to the rapidly becoming famous Houthi spokesman Yahya Sare’e – the Comical Ali of the 2020s – “the British landing ship Anvil Point” was targeted and “the hit was accurate and direct. The ship was targeted by a number of cruise missiles.”

  • Macron’s deal with hard Left puts France on a collision course with Brussels

    The resurgence of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party (RN) in the French elections has grabbed headlines.

  • Boris is the author of the Tories’ defeat

    I’ve said it before, and will doubtless have cause to say it again: Boris Johnson might be the single most effective political illusionist this country has ever seen. No matter how many times experience fails to live up to the promise, there still seems to be no shortage of buyers for the could-have-been king act.

  • President Kamala would be a disaster for the world

    “What can be, unburdened by what has been.” Nobody knows how to interpret that gnomic phrase. But that hasn’t stopped the Vice President of the most powerful country on Earth from adopting it as her mantra. Does it matter? Put it this way: with the United States poised to be unburdened by a certain octogenarian as he reels on his presidential perch, this is the person who may be getting her hands on the future of the world.

  • House Democrat is proposing a constitutional amendment to reverse Supreme Court's immunity decision

    A leading House Democrat is preparing a constitutional amendment in response to the Supreme Court's landmark immunity ruling, seeking to reverse the decision “and ensure that no president is above the law.” Rep. Joseph Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, sent a letter to colleagues informing them of his intent to file the resolution, which would kickstart what's traditionally a cumbersome amendment process. "This amendment will do what SCOTUS failed to do — prioritize our democracy,” Morelle said in a statement to AP.

  • White House now says Biden was seen by his doctor days after debate

    President Joe Biden was examined by his physician in the days following last week’s CNN presidential debate, the White House tells CNN — despite the White House press secretary having said Wednesday that the president has had no medical exams since his February physical.

  • The real reason the Tories face years in the wilderness

    Today, even before votes have been cast, the recriminations on the right of British politics have begun. Unfortunately, there is no sign as yet that people even understand what has actually happened and why. This makes an effective response impossible.

  • Germany summons Turkish ambassador over ‘wolf’ goal celebration

    Diplomat urged to explain gesture by Turkey footballer Merih Demiral and take measures to prevent a repeat