The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has reopened its health centre in Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip, after it sustained significant damage last January.
The reopening aims to support displaced families who have returned to the area seeking shelter.
In a post on its platform account “X” (formerly known as Twitter), the UN agency stated: “Our staff in Khan Younis have managed to reopen our health centre after it sustained severe damage last January.”
The post continued, “Given the absence of other healthcare facilities in this part of Khan Younis, the clinic is essential for supporting displaced families who have returned to the area in search of shelter.”
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have continued their assaults on the Gaza Strip by land, sea, and air, resulting in the deaths of more than 38,193 people, the majority of whom are women and children.
Over 87,903 others have been injured, with thousands still trapped under the rubble, according to preliminary reports.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UNRWA, recently highlighted that approximately 200 agency staff members have been killed since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza.
During a joint press conference with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Expatriates Affairs, Badr Abdel Atty, Lazzarini stated that “50% of our facilities in Gaza have been destroyed, and over 500 people were killed while sheltering in our premises.”
Lazzarini expressed grave concerns about the potential loss of an entire generation’s education and the opportunity for a better future in Gaza.
He noted that the majority of schools in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed due to the ongoing conflict.
He also highlighted that around 250,000 people have been displaced from Khan Younis in southern Gaza for the sixth or seventh time, emphasizing the absence of any safe place in the region.