The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has stated that forced displacement and ongoing military operations in Rafah are exacerbating an already dire situation.
This comes in the wake of new evacuation orders issued by Israeli authorities, affecting at least 300,000 people throughout the Gaza Strip.
According to the United Nations Media Center, UNRWA reiterated that there is no safe place in Gaza. In Rafah, 10 out of 34 UNRWA medical facilities have been closed, while the three remaining health centers continue to operate at a reduced capacity.
UNRWA detailed that evacuations are moving towards central Rafah in the south and towards Jabalia in the north of the Gaza Strip. The agency estimates that 150,000 people have fled Rafah in search of safety so far and has once again called for an immediate ceasefire.
Georgios Petropoulos, Head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza, commented on the severity of the situation, stating, “The current situation has reached unprecedented emergency levels.”
He added, “The latest evacuation orders issued by the Israeli authorities have resulted in the forced displacement of at least 110,000 people, many of whom have already been displaced multiple times.”
