Gaza: Humanitarian situation - Press Conference

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Published Jun 22, 2024

Hybrid press briefing by Andrea De Domenico, Head of OCHA's Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He briefed reporters virtually on the situation in Gaza.

The Head of OCHA's Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) Andrea De Domenico, today (03 Jun) told reporters in New York that “the idea of extending this war for another six months or seven months is simply terrible.”

Briefing via video teleconference from Jerusalem upon his return from Gaza, Domenico said in Rafah “the narrowing space that is left for civilians to conglomerate and leave is becoming more and more limited and more and more crowded.”

Within the tent, in the camps, he said, it is “so hot during the day, and of course there is lack of water for people within the tents. And so, people basically are going to the sea to find some opportunity to cool themselves down because of the high temperature of the day.”

He said, “by doing this also they take the opportunity to wash themselves, because there is no other way that people can obtain some decent hygiene.”

Commenting on the erosion of civility within Gaza, Domenico said “the rule of the strongest is becoming the only rule that is prevailing simply because there is so little for people to survive that only the strongest can have access to that, and that has eroded and penetrated even the relations within family members.”

The humanitarian official estimated “more or less there are 20,000 pregnant women that will again lose any point of reference for bringing their pregnancy to an end in conditions that are suitable for, and adequate for a proper delivery for their babies.”

He said OCHA “will keep on trying and doing our job day in and day out, to the end of our ability. And the concern for me is how people will cope with this.”

A staggering one million people have now fled Rafah in southern Gaza, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday, amid fresh reports of overnight attacks in southern, central and northern locations by Israeli forces.