The United Nations (UN) reported on Friday (9/8) that more than 80% of the Gaza Strip area since October last year has been under evacuation orders by Israel which has resulted in a significant decrease in aid deliveries.
“The UN and its partners estimate that at least 60,000 Palestinians may have moved towards western Khan Younis in the last 72 hours,” Florencia Soto Nino, a spokeswoman for the UN chief’s association, told reporters.
The latest mass movement follows recent evacuation orders by the Israeli military adding to the already critical situation in Gaza.
Nino, citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that the latest evacuation order by Israel covers an area of nearly 43 square kilometers in the north and south of Gaza, severely affecting essential infrastructure and services.
“Initial tracking by our partners in Gaza suggests that this area includes some 230 refugee sites; more than three dozen water, sanitation and hygiene facilities; and five functional health facilities, including the Indonesian Hospital,” he said.
Pointing to serious difficulties in delivering aid to those in need in Gaza, he said, “The entry of aid supplies into Gaza remains challenging due to active hostilities, access restrictions, high levels of insecurity, lack of public order and security, and other factors.”
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Since the closure of the Rafah crossing in early May, the volume of aid entering Gaza has dropped sharply, according to OCHA. “Aid volumes have dropped from a daily average of 169 trucks in April to less than 80 trucks in June and July,” it added.
The situation at the Kerem Shalom border is getting worse, Soto Nino stressed that over the past three months there has been a decrease of more than 80% in aid cargo brought into Gaza from the border. Deliveries dropped from 127 trucks per day in April to less than two dozen per day in July.
The ability to carry out humanitarian missions has also been significantly hampered by Israeli authorities. “Only 24 of the 67 aid missions planned for northern Gaza this month have been facilitated by Israeli authorities.”
In southern Gaza, nearly half of planned humanitarian missions have also faced similar setbacks. Asked about recent calls from the US, Egypt and Qatar for a ceasefire in Gaza, Nino welcomed the initiative. “Anything that works towards that goal is very welcome,” he said. (Ant/Z-2)
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