Taghribnews (TNA) - OCHA: We are running out of words to describe what is happening in Gaza

Edem Wosornu, Director of OCHA's Operations and Advocacy Division, said in a briefing to the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Rafah: “To be frank, we are running out of words to describe what is happening in Gaza. We have described it as a catastrophe, a nightmare, as hell on earth. It is all of these, and worse.”

The number of casualties continues to increase by the day, she stressed, adding that 1.1 million people face catastrophic levels of hunger and Gaza remains on the brink of famine.

Since October 2023, 75 percent of the population in Gaza – 1.7 million people – has been forcibly displaced within Gaza, many of them up to four or five times, including as a result of repeated Israeli military-issued evacuation instructions, she said.
“I must also emphasize, unequivocally, that persons forcibly displaced within or from Gaza must be guaranteed the right to voluntarily return, as international law demands.”
“I must also emphasize, unequivocally, that persons forcibly displaced within or from Gaza must be guaranteed the right to voluntarily return, as international law demands.“ stressed the Director of OCHA's Operations and Advocacy Division.
As the conflict persists and lives are threatened, civilians must be allowed to seek protection, she added.
The toll of death, injury and destruction in Gaza is utterly unconscionable, she stressed, adding: “We demand that civilians, their housing and the vital infrastructure they depend on be protected, as international humanitarian law requires. All feasible precautions must be taken to avoid and minimize civilian harm.”
She also underscored "the need for the facilitation of rapid, unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief into and within Gaza – also as a matter of international humanitarian law.” All available access points must be open and kept open for a sustained period to allow aid to enter at scale, said Wosornu.
She also affirmed the need to be assured of the protection of humanitarian and UN staff, all of whom are working under extreme conditions in Gaza.
The OCHA official further emphasized the need for adequate funding, particularly for UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which he stressed is the central pillar of our aid operation.