The UN fears an “even more hellish scenario” in Gaza
Lynn Hastings, United Nations (UN) humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, expresses grave concerns about the possibility of continuing humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip as Israel tightens its grip on the Palestinian territory.
Since hostilities resumed on December 1 after a seven-day ceasefire, “Israeli military operations have expanded to the south of the Gaza Strip, forcing tens of thousands of other people to flee to increasingly dense areas where they urgently need food, water, shelter, etc. “Security,” she said in a statement on Monday.
“The necessary conditions to provide help to the people in Gaza do not exist. If this is possible, it creates an even more hellish scenario that humanitarian operations may not be able to respond to,” she adds. “Nobody is safe in Gaza and there is no place left to go,” emphasizes the Canadian, who in these conditions rejects the idea of “safe zones” mentioned by the United States. These zones “cannot be safe or humanitarian if they are declared unilaterally,” she said.
“What we see today is empty housing, a health system on its knees, a lack of clean drinking water, no sanitation and inadequate nutrition for a mentally and physically exhausted population: a perfect recipe for epidemics and a public health disaster,” she describes, deploring the lack of humanitarian aid and fuel that can reach the Gaza Strip.
“The space available for humanitarian assistance in Gaza is constantly shrinking” as two main roads crossing the area are closed to UN teams and trucks, the Jerusalem-based UN official further denounced Visa not being extended by Israel accused her of not being “impartial”.
The spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for a “permanent humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza” and the release of all hostages, and in turn called on Israeli forces to “avoid new actions that could worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.” . and spare civilians further suffering.”
“For those ordered to evacuate, there is no safe place and very few options for survival,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement.