United Nations: After recent evacuation orders, Gazans abandoned shelter in parts of the north and the south, moving so quickly that some left without belongings, UN humanitarians said.
It was not the first time many of them were displaced.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday that more civilians fled parts of Khan Younis following Monday’s evacuation order issued by Israeli authorities and the subsequent intensification of hostilities in that area, Xinhua news agency reported.
OCHA added that humanitarian colleagues monitoring population movements reported about 150,000 people left areas in Khan Younis.
The office is concerned about the short interval between dropping leaflets ordering people to leave and the escalation of military operations, posing significant risks. The warning was about an hour before hostilities. Many civilians were seen on the move without any belongings.
“The immediate escalation of hostilities in the area also resulted in many people being trapped in the evacuation area,” OCHA said.
“These included people with reduced mobility and family members supporting them.”
The humanitarians said that each evacuation order profoundly disrupts people’s lives, with many forced to move into areas with little or no infrastructure and very limited access to shelter, health, sanitation or other life-saving humanitarian assistance.
OCHA said the area designated for evacuation on Monday included two primary health centres, two medical points, a dozen food distribution points and eight cooked meal provision points. These have all ceased operations, with only one community kitchen still operational for those left behind.
The office also said that different parts of Salah ad Din Road have seen security incidents, including gunfire. Parts of the road, a key route for humanitarian goods, were included in Monday’s evacuation directives. This forced humanitarian supplies to be rerouted to the Coastal Road, which is not a viable alternative due to congestion.
The World Health Organisation reported that Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis is coping with an influx of patients following hostilities. Some medical supplies delivered last week for 10,000 patients were diverted to treat mass casualty victims.
OCHA also said displacement continues from the northern Gaza Strip southwards and from the Al-Bureij area of Deir al Balah amid continuing hostilities.
Humanitarians said they continue doing everything possible to provide healthcare, child protection services, cash assistance and essential items.
The UN office added that two marked UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) vehicles were hit with live ammunition while waiting at a designated holding point near the Wadi Gaza checkpoint.
Unicef said the cars were en route to reunite five children, including a baby, with their father. It’s the second such shooting incident involving UNICEF cars in the past 12 weeks.
The UN Relief Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) suffered a similar incident on Sunday.
OCHA said there were no injuries in either incident.
“We strongly reiterate that humanitarian workers are protected under International Humanitarian Law and must never be targeted,” OCHA added.
Unicef also reported it managed to transfer some water pipes to the north to provide water to the Jabalya area. It’s a reminder that people in Gaza are surviving with only a quarter of the water supply they had before the conflict started on October 7.
–IANS