GENEVA May 19. 2024 (Saba) - Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini described the Zionist claim that Palestinians in Gaza can move to "safe" or "humanitarian" areas as a false claim, stating that each time they move, their lives are seriously endangered.
Lazzarini said via "X" platform on Saturday, "There are no safe areas in Gaza. There is no safe place. No one is safe. The situation worsens again due to the shortage of basic humanitarian aid and supplies."
He confirmed that 800,000 citizens were forced to flee from Rafah in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the Israeli military attack on the city this month.
Lazzarini said, "About half of Rafah's population, or 800,000 people, are on the road, after being forced to flee since the Israeli forces began the military operation in the area on May 6."
He added: "In response to (Israeli) evacuation orders, which demand that people flee to the so-called safe areas, people primarily headed to central areas and Khan Yunis, including destroyed buildings."
Lazzarini pointed out that since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7th of last year, "Palestinians have been forced to flee several times in search of safety they never found, including UNRWA shelters."
He continued, "When people flee, they are exposed, without a safe passage or protection. Each time, they are forced to leave behind their few belongings: mattresses, tents, cooking utensils, and basic necessities they cannot carry or afford to transport. Each time, they have to start from scratch, anew. The areas people are now fleeing to do not have potable water supplies or sanitation facilities."
Lazzarini explained: "The Mawasi area, for example, is a sandy agricultural land covering an area of 14 square kilometers, where people are left in the open with few buildings or roads, or none at all. It lacks the minimum conditions necessary to provide emergency humanitarian assistance safely and with dignity. Prior to the recent escalation, the area was home to over 400,000 people. It is overcrowded and cannot accommodate more people as in Deir al-Balah in the central areas."
He said: "The humanitarian community no longer has any other supplies to offer, including food and other basic necessities. The main crossings leading to Gaza are still closed or unsafe to access because they are near combat zones or inside them. Delivering aid is almost impossible without regular fuel imports, stable fixed and cellular communications, and ongoing military operations."
Lazzarini added, "Since May 6, only 33 aid trucks have managed to reach southern Gaza. This is a small number amid growing humanitarian needs and mass displacement," confirming that "land routes are the most feasible, efficient, and safe way to deliver aid."
He continued, "The crossings must be reopened and access to them must be safe. Without reopening these roads, deprivation of aid will continue, and catastrophic humanitarian conditions will persist."
Lazzarini reiterated the call for "the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid to all civilians in need, wherever they are," stressing that "it is necessary and must be allowed and facilitated. Displaced people must receive basic survival materials, including food, water, shelter, as well as cleanliness, health, and assistance, and above all safety."
He also emphasized that "humanitarian relief teams need safe movement and freedom to reach those in need of assistance and protection, wherever they are. It is the duty of parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian objects everywhere."
Lazzarini said, "Above all, it is time to agree on a ceasefire. Any further escalation in fighting will only inflict more destruction on civilians and make it impossible to ultimately reach the peace and stability that Israelis and Palestinians desperately need and deserve."
resource : Saba
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