However, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric indicated on Tuesday that aid delivery has not completely stopped, even though a senior UN official had earlier suggested otherwise.
The UN has been forced to evacuate its humanitarian aid hub in Gaza twice since the war began. Initially, the hub was located in Rafah, southern Gaza, but was moved due to an Israeli ground invasion in early May. The new hub, set up in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, was also evacuated following a new order from the Israeli military on Sunday.
According to a UN spokesperson in Geneva, since Friday, evacuation orders have impacted 19 neighborhoods in northern Gaza and Deir el-Balah. These orders have forced UN and NGO staff, along with their families, to leave 15 locations. Additionally, critical infrastructure, including four UN warehouses, a water reservoir, a desalination plant, three wells, two small health facilities, and a hospital, has been affected. The evacuation orders also disrupted 29 emergency shelters for displaced people.
Gilles Michaud, the UN's chief of safety and security, said that over the weekend, the Israeli military gave just a few hours' notice for over 200 UN personnel to evacuate their offices and living spaces in Deir el-Balah. This evacuation came at a difficult time, as a major polio vaccination campaign was about to begin, which would have required a significant number of UN staff in Gaza.
Despite these challenges, Michaud emphasized that the UN remains committed to its mission in Gaza. He noted that the delivery of humanitarian aid continues, although the situation remains extremely risky. Michaud expressed concern that the mass evacuation orders are just one of many threats faced by UN and humanitarian workers in the region.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) also reported that Israel's new evacuation orders forced them and other humanitarian organizations to suspend their operations in Gaza. The IRC stressed the importance of allowing humanitarian workers to continue their efforts without the threat of displacement or military action. They urged all parties to protect civilians and ensure that aid workers can operate safely.
The conflict in Gaza has been ongoing since October 7 of the previous year, when Hamas fighters attacked Israeli communities, killing about 1,100 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. Since then, Israeli military operations have caused widespread devastation in the Palestinian enclave, displacing nearly all of its 2.3 million residents. The conflict has led to severe hunger, disease, and the deaths of at least 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials.
The UN and other humanitarian organizations continue to navigate these challenges as they work to provide aid to the people of Gaza amidst the ongoing conflict.
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