UN Urges Israel to Reconsider Gaza Evacuation Orders

APP

United Nations: The United Nations has expressed serious concerns regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, urging Israel to reconsider evacuation orders given the lack of safe locations amid ongoing airstrikes and ground assaults.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric highlighted that directing civilians to evacuate is ineffective when they have nowhere safe to go and lack access to essential resources such as shelter, food, medicine, and water.

He emphasized that residential areas are under attack, hospitals are facing evacuation orders, and electricity has been cut off, as reported by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Dujarric pointed out that heavy bombing and ground operations in northern Gaza threaten to shut down medical facilities and other vital services, with bakeries already closing as workers and their families are displaced.

He noted that no fuel or commercial goods are permitted into the area, and aid workers are struggling to bring in limited humanitarian supplies through Israeli checkpoints.

Those fleeing northern Gaza face restricted options, as the southern region is overcrowded and lacks basic services. Dujarric stated that southern Gaza is overwhelmed and cannot accommodate additional people.

Over 50,000 Palestinians, including women and children, have been displaced within northern Gaza, and many others remain trapped in their homes, particularly in the Jabalya camp.

UN agencies and humanitarian partners are monitoring the situation closely and providing assistance to displaced families where feasible. However, Dujarric reiterated that evacuation orders are ineffective without safe destinations and access to necessary resources.

In Lebanon, health services have been severely impacted since tensions escalated following the October 7 attacks. From October 8, 2023, to October 4, 2024, at least 96 primary health care centers and three hospitals have closed due to hostilities, with 77 health workers reportedly killed while on duty.

Dujarric mentioned that UN partners are supporting Lebanese health authorities by delivering trauma and emergency kits to hospitals and providing medicines. Water infrastructure has also suffered damage, affecting approximately 300,000 people.

Displacement orders continue, particularly from southern Lebanon and the suburbs of Beirut. According to the UN International Organization for Migration, over 540,000 individuals have been displaced since October 8 last year.

In response, UN agencies and partners have delivered over 500,000 hot meals since September 23 and are coordinating relief efforts with the Lebanese government.

Dujarric highlighted a recent Flash Appeal aiming to provide lifesaving supplies and protection to one million people; however, it is currently only 12 percent funded, having received just $53 million. He called on donors to contribute quickly and generously.