By Merve Aydogan
HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Tuesday noted that it cannot deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip following the closure of the Rafah and Karem Abu Salim border crossings.
Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric cited the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ latest report during a news conference and stressed that evacuation orders by Israeli forces for Palestinians in eastern Rafah have "resulted in forced displacement of tens of thousands of people."
Emphasizing that residents have been displaced multiple times in the past seven months, Dujarric said, "Civilians in Gaza must be protected and have their basic needs met."
Israeli forces issued evacuation orders Monday for Palestinians in eastern Rafah in a move widely seen as a prelude to a long-feared attack on the city -- home to 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.
Dujarric stressed the need to provide adequate time and a safe route with a secure final destination for those wishing to leave.
Noting that the Rafah and Karem Abu Salim crossings are closed, Dujarric said, "This means that we cannot bring in humanitarian assistance, cannot access nutrition supplies. We need to treat more than 3,000 children with acute malnutrition. We cannot access the fuel needed to power our response efforts."
Dujarric cited a survey conducted by UN Women and said that there are at least 700,000 women and girls in Gaza, none of whom have anywhere to go.
Saying that 93% of women and girls do not feel safe in their homes and shelters, he noted that 80% of women are reported to be suffering from depression.
"Over 70% have heightened anxiety or nightmares," he added.
Nearly 34,800 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive on Gaza since October, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Tuesday.
Israel is accused of genocide in an ongoing case 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 to civilians there.