With Israel threatening to attack Rafah, UN official warns of humanitarian crisis in Gaza

By Selen Valente Rasquinho

BRUSSELS (AA) - The UN senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza on Monday sounded the alarm on the potential dire consequences facing Gaza civilians as Israel threatens to target the southern city of Rafah.

Sigrid Kaag's warning came during a critical meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, where she stressed the urgent need to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

After the meeting, Kaag briefed journalists on the precarious situation in Gaza and the devastating impact on innocent civilians should Israel carry out its plans to expand attacks to Rafah, a city where some 1.5 million Palestinians have sought safe haven.

"The consequences of Israel's attack on Rafah would be disastrous for civilians," Kaag said.

Expressing deep concern over Israel's intentions, Kaag underscored that the threat of an attack on Rafah appears only a matter of time. Leaders worldwide have denounced Israel’s threats.

She spoke on the dire conditions of civilians in Rafah, where many live in makeshift shelters covered with plastic tarps, making them extremely vulnerable to any form of military aggression.

Even distributing aid there is difficult under the current circumstances, she said.

- 'Indispensable' UN agency

Addressing the issue of dwindling support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA, Kaag stressed its indispensable role in providing essential services to Palestinians.

She stressed that there is no viable alternative to the agency, urging continued international support to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

After a handful of UNRWA staffers were accused of involvement in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, numerous countries cut off funding, despite warnings that this would compound Palestinians’ humanitarian suffering. The agency is investigating the claims.

Israel has since pounded the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack, which killed some 1,200 people. The ensuing Israeli attacks have killed over 29,000 and injured over 69,000, with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while most of the enclave's infrastructure damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.