UN aid operations in Gaza halted after Israel evacuation orders
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The Israeli military patrolling near the Israel-Gaza border in August. Israel issued evacuation orders for Gaza’s Deir Al-Balah on Aug 25.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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UNITED NATIONS – United Nations humanitarian aid operations in Gaza ground to a halt on Aug 26 after Israel issued new evacuation orders
“We’re unable to deliver today with the conditions that we’re in,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We’re not leaving (Gaza) because the people need us there,” the official said. “We’re trying to balance the need of the population with the need for safety and security of the UN personnel.”
The official said UN staff on the ground had been directed to try and find a way to keep operating.
The official said the United Nations had relocated its main command operations for the Gaza Strip and most UN personnel to Deir Al-Balah after Israel ordered the evacuation of Rafah in the south of Gaza.
“Where do we move now?” said the official, adding that UN staff had to be moved so quickly that equipment was left behind.
“The challenge is to find a place where we can reset and effectively operate,” the official said. “The space to operate is being restricted more and more than ever.”
The current war in the Gaza Strip began on Oct 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel’s military has levelled swathes of the Palestinian enclave, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing at least 40,000 people, according to the Palestinian health authorities. REUTERS
