The UN fears an “even more hellish scenario” in Gaza
Lynn Hastings, United Nations (UN) humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, expresses strong fears about the ability to continue humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip, while Israel tightens its grip on the Palestinian territory.
Since the resumption of hostilities on December 1 after a seven-day truce, “Israeli military operations have expanded into southern Gaza, forcing tens of thousands more to flee into increasingly concentrated spaces, in desperate need of food, water, shelter and security »she declared on Monday in a press release.
“The conditions necessary to provide aid to the people of Gaza do not exist. If it is possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to come true, to which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond.she adds. “No one is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go”insists the Canadian, who rejects in these conditions the idea of “safe areas” mentioned by the United States. These areas cannot be “neither safe nor humanitarian when declared unilaterally”she says.
“What we see today are empty shelters, a health system on its knees, a lack of clean drinking water, no sanitation and insufficient nutrition for a mentally and physically exhausted population: a perfect recipe for epidemics and a public health disaster »she describes, deploring the insufficiency of humanitarian aid and fuel that can enter the Gaza Strip.
“The space allowed for the humanitarian response in Gaza is constantly shrinking”with the closure now to UN teams and trucks of two major roads crossing the territory, further denounces the UN official based in Jerusalem, whose visa will not be renewed by Israel which accused her of not being “impartial”.
The spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, once again calling for a “lasting humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza” and the release of all the hostages, for his part called on the Israeli forces to “avoid further actions that could exacerbate the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and spare civilians from further suffering”.
“For people who have been ordered to evacuate, there is no safe place to go and very few ways to survive,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement.