Considered the main humanitarian actor on the ground, the Agency rejected its intention to move its personnel after the Israeli authorities ordered this Monday the partial evacuation of the refugee population in that governorate.
“UNRWA is not evacuating: the agency will maintain a presence in Rafah for as long as possible and will continue to provide rescue and aid services to the people,” said a press release released by the entity.
According to press reports, Tel Aviv’s defense forces dropped leaflets from airplanes and sent text messages by phone asking the population to leave several neighborhoods of that city.
The information “advised” civilians to move to one of the so-called safe areas in Al Mawasi, west of Rafah, next to the Mediterranean Sea.
The previously announced operation in Rafah has been strongly rejected by the international community and the United Nations since the governorate houses half of the population of Gaza with a high risk of food insecurity and without access to essential services such as shelter, food, water or sanitation. after almost seven months of conflict.
Several UN humanitarian entities consider this and other similar evacuation initiatives by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as forced displacement.
Unrwa spokesperson Louise Wateridge warned that in Al Mawasi there is a serious lack of sufficient infrastructure, including available water.
In statements published by the UN news portal, the spokesperson did not consider the idea of moving tens of thousands more people there to be feasible.
A previous assessment by the agency estimated that more than 400,000 people are taking refuge in the coastal area while other groups continue to arrive from the nearby city of Khan Younis.
UNRWA reported that it has two temporary health centers in Al Mawasi and other recently established medical points in the area, however, it insisted that there are no conditions for another mass displacement.
“Contrary to claims, it is far from safe, because nowhere is safe in Gaza,” said UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma.
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