Displacement from Gaza City – Highlights of the noon briefing by Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General (excerpt on Occupied Palestinian Territory) 08 July 2024

08 July 2024

(Excerpt)

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OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that people are being displaced from parts of Gaza city after Israeli authorities issued new evacuation orders yesterday and today. These areas had already been subject to a blanket evacuation order issued in October for all of northern Gaza.

The affected neighbourhoods are home to more than 60 shelters that had been schools, as well as two partially functional hospitals, six medical points, and two primary health centres.

Staff and patients have reportedly left hospitals in and around the areas designated for evacuation.

Meanwhile, OCHA reports that active hostilities, damaged roads, access limitations, and the lack of public order and safety continue to hamper movement along the main humanitarian cargo route from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. This has resulted in critical shortages of fuel and aid to sustain humanitarian operations. It is also increasing the risk that stranded supplies – especially food – will spoil in the summer heat.

Humanitarian partners say these shortages forced them to reduce food rations in central and southern Gaza last month – and undermined their ability to keep bakeries and community kitchens running.

Just three of the 18 bakeries they support in Gaza are still operational, all of them in Deir al Balah. Meanwhile, lack of fuel has forced nine bakeries that were working at partial capacity to completely cease their operations.

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