UNITED NATIONS, Jul 03 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is \u201cappalled\u201d by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as civilians face yet another wave of mass displacement with few safe places to go, according to his spokesperson.<\/p>\n
Multiple attacks in recent days have killed and injured scores of Palestinians at sites hosting displaced people and others attempting to access essential supplies, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Secretary-General strongly condemns the loss of civilian life,\u201d Dujarric added.<\/p>\n
On just one day this week, nearly 30,000 people were forced to flee under new Israeli relocation orders, with no safe place to go and clearly inadequate supplies of shelter, food, medicine or water, he added.<\/p>\n
With no fuel having entered Gaza in over 17 weeks, the UN chief is also \u201cgravely concerned that the last lifelines for survival are being cut off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout an urgent influx of fuel, incubators will shut down, ambulances will be unable to reach the injured and sick, and water cannot be purified,\u201d Dujarric said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe delivery by the United Nations and partners of what little of our lifesaving humanitarian aid is left in Gaza will also grind to a halt.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for safe and sustained humanitarian access so aid can reach people in desperate need.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe UN has a clear and proven plan, rooted in the humanitarian principles, to get vital assistance to civilians \u2013 safely and at scale, wherever they are,\u201d Dujarric said.<\/p>\n
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. He reminded all parties that international humanitarian law must be upheld.<\/p>\n
Displacement remains relentless. On Wednesday, Israeli authorities issued a new evacuation order in parts of Gaza City, affecting some 40,000 people and including a displacement site, a medical point and one of the few neighbourhoods that had remained untouched by such orders since before the March ceasefire.<\/p>\n
Since that ceasefire collapsed, over 50 such orders have been issued, now covering 78 per cent of Gaza\u2019s territory.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdd the Israeli-militarized zones and that percentage jumps to 85 \u2013 leaving just 15 per cent where civilians can actually stay,\u201d Dujarric said, briefing reporters at the UN Headquarters, in New York.<\/p>\n
Those areas are overcrowded and severely lacking in services or proper infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine having just over two million people in Manhattan \u2013 which is actually slightly bigger \u2013 but instead of buildings, the area is strewn with the rubble of demolished and bombed-out structures, without infrastructure or basic support,\u201d the Spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd in Gaza, these remaining areas are also fragmented and unsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 03 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is \u201cappalled\u201d by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as civilians face yet another wave of mass displacement with few safe places to go, according to his spokesperson. Multiple attacks in recent days have killed and […]<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":122015,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-world-news"],"yoast_head":"\n