Pregnant Women, Disabled Among 80,000 Palestinians Fleeing Gaza Bombardment

News Desk 

New York:  Escalating Israeli military attacks in northern Gaza have forced an estimated 84,000 people to flee eastern Gaza City in recent days, cutting off access to a key aid distribution hub, according to UN humanitarian officials.

The exodus from Gaza City’s eastern Shujaiya district follows days of intense bombardment by the Israeli military, whose tanks have been sighted around 100 meters east of Salah El Din road, the main north-south axis.

Humanitarian Crisis

“People in this area tell us about the looming famine, and how people are eating tree leaves or only have flour to survive on,” said the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). 

Senior Communications Officer Louise Wateridge described the destruction as “apocalyptic,” with most people losing their homes either completely or partially and being forced to flee with very few belongings.

Pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and thousands of unaccompanied and separated children are among the most vulnerable, struggling to move during forced displacements. The violence has also prevented UNRWA from accessing its distribution center in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood due to its proximity to the front line.

Shelter and Aid Distribution

Of the approximately 84,000 people currently displaced, some 10,600 have found shelter in 27 locations, including UNRWA schools, where pop-up health points are under increasing pressure to cope with demand.

 Others are staying in government schools, buildings, and open areas. To assist those forcibly uprooted by the latest escalation, the UN agency has distributed water, food parcels, and flour, with plans to distribute nappies, mattresses, and tarpaulins.

Fuel and Medical Supplies

Some fuel for the agency’s needs was delivered on Sunday via the fence road separating Gaza from Israel. A limited quantity of diesel also entered the enclave to run hospital generators and desalination plants, but the needs remain huge, humanitarians have repeatedly warned.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that access constraints, insecurity, and ongoing hostilities have significantly impeded the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance and services across Gaza. 

This includes critical food and nutrition aid, medical care, shelter support, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services for hundreds of thousands of people in need.

Fewer than half of the more than 100 planned humanitarian assistance missions to northern Gaza this month have been facilitated by Israeli authorities, with the rest either impeded, denied access, or canceled due to logistical, operational, or security reasons.

Casualties and Displacement

A military operation in the area of al-Mawasi west of Khan Younis resulted in scores of casualties arriving at a nearby field hospital and the displacement of at least 5,000 people, according to partners on the ground.

Southern Gaza, amid the ongoing Israeli military operation in Rafah beginning last month, now resembles the apocalyptic scenes of the north and Gaza City, according to UNRWA.

Challenges for Humanitarian Efforts

As the UN’s largest aid agency in Gaza, UNRWA has continued to provide as many humanitarian services and supplies as possible, including delivering food, healthcare, and even learning activities for children. However, it is becoming almost impossible to respond due to the Israeli-imposed siege.

“Lack of fuel, lack of aid supplies, lack of safety, and all-around total hardship for our staff, who themselves are struggling to survive throughout this war,” Ms. Wateridge explained.