UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : Gaza key Rafah crossings closed

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Gaza aid choked off by closure of key southern border crossings

Amid ongoing uncertainty about a ceasefire in Gaza and an escalation of the military operation in the southern city of Rafah, UN aid agencies expressed deep concerns on Tuesday that the two main access points into the Strip remained closed, while families are scared and “hanging on psychologically and physically by a thread”.

Gaza is “choked off” from aid warned Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. “We currently do not have any physical presence at the Rafah crossing, as our access to go to that area for coordination purposes has been denied by COGAT, he told journalists in Geneva, making reference to the Israeli agency that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs. “Currently, the two main arteries for getting aid into Gaza are currently choked off.”

UN humanitarians estimate that the enclave has only a one-day buffer of fuel stocks. “If no fuel comes in for a prolonged period of time, it would be a very effective way of putting the humanitarian operation in its grave,” the OCHA spokesperson insisted.

Israel's military took control overnight of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, a vital entry point for humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip from the Egyptian border. The incursion comes after Hamas said it had accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal by Qatar and Egypt, but Israel said it would continue talks while pushing ahead with Rafah military operations.

The border closure is a blow to efforts to maintain the flow of food, medicine and basic supplies to keep Gazans alive. The World Food Program has warned the northern part of the Strip is already experiencing “full-blown famine.”

A warning echoed by James Elder, from UNICEF, who questioned “how aid agencies could avert famine across the Gaza Strip if the borders remain closed for an extended period.”

With the population of Rafah increasing fivefold, from 250,000 to 1.4 million people, the physical and mental health conditions for civilians have been deteriorating rapidly over the last seven months of war.

“Families’ coping capacity has been smashed,” explained Mr. Elder, UNICEF spokesperson. They are hanging on, psychologically and physically, by a thread. I do not recall meeting a single family in Rafah -and I met scores-, who hadn't lost a home or a loved one.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned against an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah saying it would be a ‘human catastrophe’ and reiterated his appeal to both parties to secure an ‘essential’ cease-fire agreement now.

Palestinian civilians under orders to evacuate eastern Rafah by the Israeli Defence Forces have described their fear and despair. More than one million Palestinians have fled to the city from other parts of Gaza since 7 October 2023.

“They must have access to aid where they go,” insisted Jens Laerke. “That is not the case, particularly in Al Mawassi, the major problem is that there's no infrastructure. What underpins a humanitarian operation is access to electricity, access to water and sanitation systems, sewage system and so on. That's not there,” he added.

The UN's human rights office warned that Israel has strict obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the safety and access of the population to medical care, adequate food, safe water and sanitation. “Failure to meet these obligations may amount to forced displacement, which is a war crime,” said Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson.

Ends

Gaza key Rafah crossings closed - OCHA, UNICEF, OHCHR 07 May 2024

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