The UN aid initiatives in Gaza came to a standstill on Monday following the issuance of fresh evacuation directives by Israel for Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip, where the UN’s activity hub was positioned, as revealed by a high-ranking UN representative.
The evacuation directive coincided with the UN’s plans to kick off a vaccination drive on Saturday, with hopes of inoculating approximately 640,000 children in Gaza. The World Health Organisation highlighted a worrying case of a 10-month-old infant paralysed due to the type 2 poliovirus, marking the first case of its kind in the region over the past 25 years.
The UN representative announced, “Our operations in Gaza have been stalled since this morning, as the current conditions have hindered our ability to carry out our tasks”. The UN had shifted its primary activity centre for the Gaza Strip and a large portion of its staff to Deir Al-Balah, following an Israeli eviction order for Rafah in the southern part of Gaza a few months prior.
The representative pondered about a suitable relocation space, while expressing concern about the swift evacuation that led to the abandonment of essential equipment. The Israeli military’s humanitarian division did not provide an immediate reaction to the evacuation order.
Despite the sudden eviction, the UN representative affirmed that the ground staff had been tasked with identifying ways to continue their operations, noting that their initiatives hadn’t been officially terminated. The representative emphasised their obligation towards the people of Gaza, stating, “The population’s needs are our priority, but we also need to safeguard the wellbeing and security of our personnel at the UN.”
Even with these challenges, Sam Rose, a senior regional director for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), reported that they were managing to offer health services and other necessities. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that UNRWA shares common hurdles with the rest of the UN system, despite its unique operational methods.
“We find ourselves progressively forced into reduced parts of Gaza,” stated a representative. “Israel’s declared humanitarian zone has decreased. It currently represents approximately 11 per cent of the entire Gaza Strip. However, this does not equate to 11 per cent of habitable, serviceable and liveable land.”
The conflict in the Gaza Strip erupted on October 7th, 2023, as reported by Israel, it was instigated when Hamas gunmen are said to have killed around 1,200 individuals and taken roughly 250 people hostage.
In response, the Israeli military has destructed vast areas of the Palestinian precinct, displacing nearly its entire population of 2.3 million, leading to severe food shortages and disease, resulting in the death of a minimum of 40,000 inhabitants, based on data from the Palestinian health department.
Louise Wateridge, an Unrwa spokesperson stated, “The distribution of humanitarian assistance is increasingly complicated and restricts our effectiveness.”
Complaints about difficulties in delivering aid to Gaza have been ongoing, as Israel inspects and approves all transport vehicles. The UN states it is also struggling to dispatch aid due to “absolute anarchy” throughout the 2.3 million inhabitant enclave, where last month a global food shortage monitor indicated a considerable famine risk.
In the past two months, the UN World Food Program (WFP) claims to have managed to deliver only half of the 24,000 metric tons of food assistance required for operations catering to 1.1 million people. The WFP cites escalating conflict, a restricted number of border crossings, and damaged infrastructure as contributing factors to their detriment.
Mr Rose claimed that the upcoming polio vaccination campaign, due to launch on Saturday, will involve more than 3,000 personnel. More than a third of these will be from Unrwa, which remains the principal healthcare provider remaining in the Gaza Strip. He stated, “The vaccines have arrived. We plead for peace. We urge for humanitarian intermissions.”
— Reuters (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.