The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News , Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights briefing by Ajith Sunghay on Gaza
Ajith Sunghay, who heads the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, was speaking after a visit to Gaza last week. In Khan Younis he had met people who had fled their homes to seek shelter in overcrowded, makeshift camps.
“In Rafah, I saw displaced people who had been ordered by Israeli authorities to leave their homes, with no provision for their accommodation, literally living on the street, with sewage running in the streets and conditions of desperation conducive to a complete breakdown in order,” Sunghay added.
“And even in the midst of it all, human rights and humanitarian NGOs, our counterparts in Gaza, continue their courageous work, trying to make sure human rights violations are properly documented and humanitarian response continues – even as their own lives fall apart,” he said.
Over the past few days, there have been near continuous attacks, including on medical facilities and schools in Khan Younis, UN facilities, as well as residential areas.
“The people I spoke to fear the extreme violence is spilling into Rafah – which will have catastrophic implications for the more than 1.3 million people already crowded there,” Sunghay warned.
Shelling by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) continues in areas unilaterally designated as “safe” areas, including Al Mawasi in western Khan Younis.
“Having personally witnessed and heard the testimonies of those who have endured so much pain and suffering, I am very, very worried. I fear that many more civilians will die. The continued attacks on specifically protected facilities, such as hospitals, will kill civilians, and there will be a further, massive impact on access to health care, safety and security in general of Palestinians,” said Sunghay.
The apparent disregard for international law needs to end, Sunghay stressed.. The violence needs to end. Humanitarian aid needs to be delivered without impediment to all those who need it.
The UN Human Rights Office has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the need for a political solution that respects and ensures the rights of all Palestinians and Israelis.
In Geneva:
Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org
Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org
Jeremy Laurence - + 41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org
Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
STORY: UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ajith Sunghay on “catastrophic situation” for civilians in Gaza
TRT: 01:35
SOURCE: OHCHR/UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 26 January 26, 2024, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior shot:
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Ajith Sunghay, Ajith Sunghay, Head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OHCHR): “In Rafah, I saw displaced people who had been ordered by Israeli authorities to leave their homes, with no provision for their accommodation, literally living on the street, with sewage running in the streets and conditions of desperation conducive to a complete breakdown in order.”
- Cut away: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Ajith Sunghay, Ajith Sunghay, Head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OHCHR): “And even in the midst of it all, human rights and humanitarian NGOs, our counterparts in Gaza, continue their courageous work, trying to make sure human rights violations are properly documented and humanitarian response continues – even as their own lives fall apart.”
- Cut away: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Ajith Sunghay, Ajith Sunghay, Head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OHCHR): “The people I spoke to fear the extreme violence is spilling into Rafah – which will have catastrophic implications for the more than 1.3 million people already crowded there. ”
- Cut away: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Ajith Sunghay, Ajith Sunghay, Head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OHCHR): “Having personally witnessed and heard the testimonies of those who have endured so much pain and suffering, I am very, very worried. I fear that many more civilians will die. The continued attacks on specifically protected facilities, such as hospitals, will kill civilians, and there will be a further, massive impact on access to health care, safety and security in general of Palestinians.”
- Cut away: Briefing room
Similar Stories
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday provided and oral update to the 63rd session of the Human rights Council on Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday provided and oral update to the 63rd session of the Human rights Council on the human rights situation in Haiti.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Repeated delays in bringing lifesaving medicines, prosthetics and more from Israel into Gaza risk having devastating consequences on Palestinians who urgently need them in the wartorn enclave, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. “A truck full of non-priority supplies or the right supplies arriving too late, doesn't save lives. That's the question that actually matters," said Dr Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO Representative in the OPT.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , UN WOMEN , UNHCR , WFP , WHO , WTO , UNEP
OCHA – $160M CERF allocation to 12 underfunded crises; UNHCR – 5.8M refugee children remain out of school amid funding cuts; UN Women – Middle East escalation and food security among women/girls; WHO – Gaza supplies and overall situation; WFP – Yemen food insecurity and impact on global hunger ; UNEP - First International Conference of the Global Framework on Chemicals in Geneva | 16-20 November 2026
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC: Early access to care and oxygen decisive for Ebola patients’ survival – WHO
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health workers fighting the country’s largest-ever Ebola outbreak are struggling to overcome critical challenges to patient care, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNHCR , WHO
Yemen's health system nears collapse amid conflict, causing rising casualties and medicine shortages.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UN
Civilians in Iran are continuing to feel the consequences of months of conflict and military escalation, the UN’s top official in the country has said, as loss of life, damage to civilian infrastructure and mounting economic pressures leave many facing continued uncertainty.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC
Update by the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNICEF
Aid agencies in Yemen highlighted the growing hunger emergency sparked by renewed fighting between Houthi opposition forces and Government troops, after mobile health clinics reported that hundreds of children displaced by the violence are suffering from the most deadly form of malnutrition.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WIPO , WHO , UNICEF , UNHCR , IOM , WFP , FAO
WIPO Global Innovation Index 2026 launch and press conference, WHO Composition of influenza vaccines for the 2027 Southern Hemisphere flu season, UNICEF Yemen hunger and malnutrition; UNHCR Sudan displacement into Chad; IOM Ebola and population movements in DRC; WFP emergency food assistance in Nepal; and FAO food loss and waste.
2
1
2
Press Conferences | UNCTAD
Gaza reconstruction needs reach $71.5 billion as Palestinian economy and public finances face severe strain. Latest UNCTAD report documents the loss of decades of development gains, economic collapse in Gaza and tightening economic constraints in the West Bank.
The report identifies three immediate priorities: transferring withheld Palestinian revenues, safeguarding the banking system and aligning reconstruction support with the documented scale of damage and economic losses.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC
Press conference on the situation of human rights in Nicaragua by the UN Group of Human Rights Experts