UN Warns of Potentially Devastating Consequences of Ground Operation in Rafah, Gaza Strip

The United Nations is sounding the alarm over the potentially devastating consequences of a ground operation in Rafah, Gaza Strip. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that today’s evacuation orders for East Rafah will only worsen the suffering of civilians. They are being instructed to relocate to Al Mawasi, an area that is already overcrowded and lacking essential humanitarian services. The mass evacuation, covering an area of more than 30 square kilometers, is impossible to carry out safely. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlights that children account for half of the over one million people sheltering in Rafah. UNICEF calls for children not to be forcibly relocated, as there is nowhere safe for them to go. Potential evacuation corridors are likely mined or littered with unexploded ordnance, and the limited shelter and services in relocation areas further compound the crisis. The UN emphasizes the obligation to protect civilians in any war and urges that they be given enough time, a safe route, and a safe place to go. The United Nations is not participating in any involuntary evacuations or the establishment of displacement zones in southern Gaza. The ongoing hostilities and the potential closure of the Rafah crossing for fuel supply pose a severe threat to the already fragile humanitarian work in the region.

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