Any operation in Rafah will 'exponentially increase humanitarian catastrophe': Warns WHO

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said any operation in Rafah will "exponentially increase humanitarian catastrophe," warning that new displacement will result in "worsening levels of hunger and additional loss of lives."

"Given the already precarious living conditions, and broken health system, any operation in Rafah will exponentially increase the humanitarian catastrophe and push an already fragile aid operation to a breaking point," WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told Anadolu.

Harris warned: "A new wave of displacement would exacerbate overcrowding, further limiting access to food, water, health and sanitation services, leading to increased disease outbreaks, worsening levels of hunger, and additional loss of lives."

She stressed how difficult it is to keep 33% of Gaza's 36 hospitals and 30% of primary health care centers operational amid repeated Israeli attacks and supply shortages.

"One of the ways in which WHO has been helping keep the hospitals and health centres going is to supply fuel," she said, adding, "But all fuel entering Gaza currently comes through the Rafah crossing."

Underlining that WHO and partners are working to restore and resuscitate health services, including through expansion of services and pre-positioning of supplies, as part of contingency efforts, she said: "But the broken health system would not be able to cope with a surge in casualties and deaths that a Rafah incursion would cause."

In a step widely seen as the prelude to an offensive, the Israeli army on Monday issued urgent evacuation orders to Palestinian residents and displaced individuals in southern Rafah, urging them to relocate immediately.

According to Israeli Army Radio, the decision to evacuate residents from Rafah was taken late Sunday, adding that around 100,000 civilians believed to be present in the area are set to be evacuated.

Since Oct. 7, the Israeli onslaught has killed nearly 34,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, besides causing a humanitarian catastrophe.

Nearly seven months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel also stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided.