UNITED NATIONS, Aug 27 (NNN-XINHUA) – Tens of thousands of Palestinian people have been displaced in Gaza, since Aug 14, when the Israeli military offensive on Gaza City was announced, UN humanitarians said, yesterday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), recorded more than 36,200 displacements between Aug 14 and 25, including over 11,600 from the north to the south of the strip. Of these, more than 2,000 were recorded between Sunday and Monday alone.
OCHA said, the majority of displaced people came from neighbourhoods in Gaza City, with more than two-thirds moving to Deir al-Balah and nearly a third heading to Khan Younis.
The office said, the Gaza health authority reported that, three more Palestinian people had died from malnutrition and starvation, in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of such reported deaths to 303, including 117 children.
Hospitals in Gaza warned of severe shortages of blood units, with daily needs exceeding 350 units. With many people critically injured by hostilities, more blood is needed to save lives. Yet community donations have plummeted, due to famine and malnutrition, said OCHA.
The office said, the obstructions imposed by the Israeli regime, on the movement of aid into and within the Gaza Strip continue, constraining the delivery of life-saving assistance by the United Nations and its partners.
It said that, only six out of 12 planned missions, requiring coordination with the Israeli regime were facilitated on Monday. Another three missions to collect cargo from Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Zikim border crossings, were impeded, and only partially completed, while two other missions had to be cancelled by the organisers. The Israeli regime authorities, denied one mission to carry out road repairs.
The humanitarians said that, with famine confirmed in the Gaza governorate, the humanitarian consequences of the hostilities, displacement and aid obstruction are even more devastating.
“There is an urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and full, unhindered humanitarian access across the entire strip, to bring an end to the suffering of Palestinian civilians,” OCHA said.– NNN-XINHUA
