The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Escalation of violence increases civilian suffering in Israel and Palestinian Territories - OCHA
As the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestinians takes an increasingly heavy toll on civilians, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed its deep concern for the effect the conflict is having on people’s access to water, sanitation, and health care, especially in Gaza.
“We are alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel,” UN OCHA Spokesperson Jeans Laerke said at a press briefing in Geneva today. “The casualty count continues to climb on both sides of the conflict and civilians are suffering,” Laerke added.
The situation appears especially dramatic in the Gaza strip, where fuel and medicines were already scarce, and where shortages affect an estimated two million Palestinians.
“We are in contact with all the relevant actors on the ground so that we can obtain two things: again, access in and out of the Gaza Strip – that’s through the Erez crossing point in the North which has been closed as of 10th of May – and for the goods that we need to get in, in particular fuel. So, these are negotiations that are ongoing”, Jens Laerke said.
OCHA reports that the North Gaza Seawater Desalination Plant is still not operational, affecting an estimated 250,000 people’s access to clean drinking water. Another 230,000 people from Gaza City and Khan Younis have limited access to piped water due to increasing power cuts and the damage to the networks.
“Extensive damage is reported to civilian properties in densely populated areas all over Gaza, with over 200 housing units destroyed or severely damaged”, Laerke reported. “Humanitarian partners working in shelter are supporting displaced families with non-food items and cash support”.
Laerke also said that “education partners inform us that 31 education facilities, including schools, vocational training centres and higher education facilities have been impacted since the start of the escalation.”
According to reports, hundreds of people, many from refugee camps in Gaza, are seeking refuge and shelter in schools run by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
“UNRWA says that it has experienced in quickly turning its schools into shelters, but the challenge is the pandemic and the risk of people crowding and spreading the virus”, Laerke said. He added that “another major risk is the UNRWA has not yet been able to put in place necessary preparation in these schools-turned-shelters because of the restriction on staff movement in the past two days.”
Humanitarian workers continue to provide assistance on the ground, but the current insecurity limits the delivery of essential services, including needed response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as people are unable to safely access treatment and vaccination facilities.
“We continue to call for an immediate de-escalation of violence across the occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, reminding the parties to the conflict of their obligation to protect civilians and allow access for humanitarian groups to safely provide assistance,” Laerke said.
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations flag alley, nations’ flags flying.
- Wide shot, podium with speakers in a near-empty Room XIV in line with COVID-19 distancing measures, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “We are alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. The casualty count continues to climb on both sides of the conflict and civilians are suffering. In the Gaza Strip, home to an estimated 2 million Palestinians, hostilities are also having an impact on access to water, sanitation, healthcare and the COVID-19 response.”
- Medium shot, attendee with headphones, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “We are in contact with all the relevant actors on the ground so that we can obtain two things: again, access in and out of the Gaza Strip – that’s through the Erez crossing point in the North which has been closed as of 10th of May – and for the goods that we need to get in, in particular fuel. So, these are negotiations that are ongoing.”
- Medium wide shot, attended typing on phone to rear, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “Extensive damage is reported to civilian properties in densely populated areas all over Gaza, with over 200 housing units destroyed or severely damaged. Humanitarian partners working in shelter are supporting displaced families with non-food items and cash support. Education partners inform us that 31 education facilities, including schools, vocational training centres and higher education facilities have been impacted since the start of the escalation.”
- Medium close-up shot, OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke talking, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “UNRWA says that it has experienced in quickly turning its schools into shelters, but the challenge is the pandemic and the risk of people crowding and spreading the virus. Another major risk is the UNRWA has not yet been able to put in place necessary preparation in these schools-turned-shelters because of the restriction on staff movement in the past two days.”
- Medium wide shot, attendee sitting in front of laptop, Room XIV, Palais des Nations
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “We continue to call for an immediate de-escalation of violence across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, reminding the parties to the conflict of their obligation to protect civilians and allow access for humanitarian groups to safely provide assistance.”
- Medium shot, TV broadcasting in foreground and podium with speakers to rear, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- Medium shot, attendee using listening device, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- Wide shot, UNTV camera in foreground and podium with speakers to rear, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , OHCHR
Relentless violence, famine and disease are robbing Sudan’s children of their future while attacks on healthcare and a lack of aid access are hampering efforts to alleviate their suffering, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Monday gave an update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in El Fasher, Sudan.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“A series of new Israeli operations and settlement plans in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, risk seriously undermining the viability of a Palestinian state and the realisation of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination,” the UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told the bi-weekly press conference in Geneva today.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNIS
UN voices concern over chemical spraying incident on Lebanon’s Blue Line
The UN reiterated concerns on Friday at reports that Israeli forces sprayed herbicide over areas north of the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel. The development poses a “serious humanitarian risk” to civilians living there, said the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), briefing journalists in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Five patients evacuated as Rafah reopens while ‘too many stayed behind’ – WHO
As time is running out for thousands of critically ill patients in Gaza, hope is alive for medical evacuations to increase with the reopening of the Rafah crossing in the southern part of the Strip, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNOG , OHCHR
This Sunday marks five years of crisis in Myanmar. Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights, and James Rodehaver, chief of the Myanmar team, today spoke on the conduct of recent military-imposed elections, deploring the failure to respect the fundamental human rights of the country’s citizens. The process served only to exacerbate violence and societal polarization.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Brutal Gaza war erased years of progress on education, in an “assault on the future itself” – UNICEF
Restoring Gaza’s shattered education system is “lifesaving” and getting children back into schools must be an immediate priority, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , HRC
Volker Türk, the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, made the following remarks during a briefing to a Special Session on Iran at the Human Rights Council.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , UNOPS , UNIS
Amid the launch of President Trump's Board of Peace and reconstruction talks on Gaza, UN aid agencies insisted on Friday that what Gazans need most is immediate relief from the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe there.
2
6
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | HRC
At UN, war crimes probe pledges to continue to work for all impacted by Hamas-Israel conflict
As President Trump launched the international Board of Peace plan for Gaza on Thursday, top independent rights experts tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with investigating grave abuses linked to the Hamas-Israel war pledged to continue their work seeking justice and accountability for all.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk was outraged by the repeated large-scale attacks by the Russian Federation on energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN warns against repeating abuses in South Kordofan that occurred in El Fasher.