UNRWA “has become the primary platform for humanitarian assistance for over 2.2 million people in Gaza”, leaving it “on the verge of collapse”, Philippe Lazzarini has warned.
UNRWA on the verge of collapse, chief warns
9 Dec 2023 - 22:35
UNRWA “has become the primary platform for humanitarian assistance for over 2.2 million people in Gaza”, leaving it “on the verge of collapse”, Philippe Lazzarini has warned.
“If UNRWA collapses, humanitarian assistance in Gaza will also collapse,” he warned. “The humanitarian situation is now untenable.”
“This week, the Israeli military forces have instructed people to move further South, forcing Gaza’s population into an ever-shrinking space. Shelters are shockingly overcrowded, with high risk of epidemic illness.”
“In these overfull and unsanitary spaces, more than 700 people use a single toilet, women give birth (an average of 25 per day), and people nurse open wounds.”
The premise of UNRWA’s mandate – to provide services to Palestine Refugees until there is a political solution – is at great risk: without safe shelter and aid, civilians in Gaza risk death or will be forced to Egypt and beyond.
“Forced displacement out of Gaza may end prospects for the political solution that is intrinsic to UNRWA’s mandate, with grave risks for regional peace and security,” he added.
Story Code: 617484