GENEVA: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) voiced alarm on Friday about the deteriorating conditions in southern Gaza, particularly in the town of Rafah. OCHA highlighted that a surge in people seeking safety in Rafah had turned the area into a “pressure cooker of despair.”
Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for OCHA, expressed deep concern about the ongoing Israeli aggression in Khan Younis, leading to an increased influx of displaced Palestinians further south to Rafah in recent days. Many of these people are reportedly living in makeshift structures, tents, or in open areas, facing dire conditions.
Dire Conditions in Rafah
Laerke emphasized the precarious situation in Rafah, stating, “Rafah is a pressure cooker of despair, and we fear for what comes next. Every week, we think it can’t get any worse. Well, go figure: it gets worse.”
Additionally, OCHA raised concerns about the escalating Israeli violence in Khan Younis, with heavy Israeli bombardments near hospitals, jeopardizing the safety of medical staff, the wounded, and internally displaced Palestinian people seeking refuge in these facilities.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, Laerke stated that OCHA’s food and security partners reported that half of the total food assistance provided in the last week of January was distributed in Rafah.
When asked about the safety of those seeking refuge in Rafah, Laerke emphasized, “Are they truly safe? No. There’s no safe place in Gaza; also not in Rafah.”
The UN’s top court had urged Israel to facilitate urgently needed humanitarian aid into Gaza. Despite these calls, Laerke noted that there has been no improvement in the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip over recent weeks.
