13,500 Palestinians displaced because of the latest Israeli evacuation orders, Highlights of the noon briefing by Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General – 19 August 2024

19 August 2024

(Excerpt)

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GAZA

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that repeated waves of displacement – combined with overcrowding, insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, active hostilities, and limited services – is worsening the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is already catastrophic.

According to our colleagues working on the ground, some 13,500 displaced Palestinians across 18 sites have been affected by the latest Israeli evacuation order on Saturday.  That order encompasses the entire Al Maghazi Refugee Camp, and several other neighbourhoods located in Deir al Balah area of Gaza. Initial mapping indicates that the areas newly placed under evacuation orders include five school buildings; 14 water, sanitation and health facilities; and 10 health sites, including two primary health care centres and five medical points.

OCHA warns that the ongoing hostilities, constant evacuation orders, and severe shortages of essential supplies are making it increasingly difficult for displaced families to access basic services at their place of arrival.

Since October, 86 per cent of the Gaza Strip – some 314 square kilometres – has been placed under evacuation orders.

Gaza’s population is increasingly concentrated in a zone designated by Israeli authorities in Al Mawasi, where Palestinians have been told to go. OCHA says the density of this area has surged to between 30,000 and 34,000 people per square kilometre, which is compared to an estimated 1,200 people prior to October.

Meanwhile, severe fuel shortages are forcing hospitals to postpone critical surgeries and threaten to halt the operation of ambulances, particularly in northern Gaza.

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