Humanitarian emergencies

Palestinians living in Gaza are struggling to access humanitarian aid. Credit: United Nations

The latest Israeli evacuation order on August 17 led to the displacement of more than 13,000 people, Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric told a news conference at UN headquarters.

The October 19, 2024 briefing detailed the implications of the ongoing hostilities since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The evacuation order was the latest in a series of Israeli government orders that have exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Conditions in the region are dire, with Palestinians facing a lack of access to food, clean water, fuel and health care, as well as constant bombardment, disease outbreaks and displacement.

The number of Palestinians killed in the past year during the war between Israel and Hamas far exceeds that of any point in the entire Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While it is difficult to determine the exact number of lives lost in the Gaza Strip, it has been confirmed to be over 40,000.

During a press conference at UN headquarters on August 14, 2024, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq said: “The ongoing bombardment and hostilities in Gaza continue to kill, injure and displace Palestinians, and damage and destroy the homes and infrastructure on which they depend… In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers and forces killed five Palestinians between 6 and 12 August. Another 54 Palestinians, including 11 children, were also injured during the same period.”

In addition to the dead and displaced, Palestinians have also been forced to move to refugee camps, where they live in the remains of schools and children’s hospitals. These camps have been bombed and are now virtually inhospitable.

Earlier this month, the Secretary-General’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said: “The ongoing hostilities, constant evacuation orders and severe shortages of essential supplies are making it increasingly difficult for displaced families to access basic services at their point of arrival.”

Dujarric added that severe fuel shortages are disrupting the functioning of healthcare facilities, as ambulances and essential surgeries are often halted or postponed. This is particularly concerning as Palestinians require broad access to healthcare, with many suffering from illness, malnutrition and life-threatening injuries due to the constant Israeli blockade, bombardment and displacement.

There were also concerns that humanitarian aid was being denied.

According to Haq, Israeli authorities have rejected about a third of aid missions to Gaza since August 1. The cumulative impact of these access restrictions is perpetuating a continuing cycle of deprivation and need among the affected people who face death, pain, hunger and thirst on a daily basis.”

This is based on an earlier statement by Dujarric that 500 trucks carrying aid are sent to the Gaza Strip every day, but that an average of 159 trucks are allowed to pass through unhindered every day.

Israel denies blocking humanitarian aid.

The International Court of Justice earlier this year ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah Governorate. This followed an earlier order that Israel take all measures to prevent acts in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention. South Africa brought a case arguing that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip during the war between Israel and Hamas led to a humanitarian crisis and mass killings that may have amounted to genocide.

IPS UN Office Report