UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations said on Monday that it has been forced to suspend its humanitarian operations in Gaza following a new Israeli evacuation order for the Deir al-Balah area, a key location for ongoing UN efforts in the conflict zone, a senior UN official said.
“We are not operating today. As of this morning, we’re not operating in Gaza,” the official said, adding that since the start of the war the UN has sometimes had to “delay or take a pause.”
The official emphasized that while the decision does not signify a permanent cessation of UN activities, the current conditions make it impossible to continue operations safely. “This is not a decision that we’re saying we’re stopping to operate, but practically we cannot operate,” the official added.
The UN had previously relocated much of its personnel and operations to Deir al-Balah after an earlier evacuation order for Rafah, hoping to maintain its humanitarian mission amidst the ongoing conflict. However, the latest directive from the Israeli military, issued on Sunday, called for the immediate evacuation of the area as the military intensifies its campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
Since October 7 last year, Israel has launched a relentless military campaign in Gaza killing at least 40,435 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the besieged territory. The UN’s human rights office has reported that the majority of those killed in Gaza are women and children.
Despite the current suspension, the UN official stressed that the organization remains committed to its mission in Gaza and is actively seeking solutions to resume its operations. “We need to find solutions,” the official said. “And if it means that we need to anchor down for 24-48 hours and reset, we do that. But we’re not leaving. Right now the challenge is to find a place where we can reset and effectively operate.”
