Around 1.23 lakh people displaced in Gaza, humanitarian situation to get worse : UN

International Desk: More than 123,000 people have been internally displaced in Gaza as a result of ongoing Israeli attacks, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday. Israeli airstrikes and shelling have hit houses and apartment buildings, with four large residential towers in Gaza City destroyed. Six healthcare workers have been killed and four others injured, with seven healthcare facilities and nine ambulances damaged, said the office.

Damage to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities has undermined services to more than 400,000 people in Gaza. The Gaza Power Plant is now the only source of electricity and could run out of fuel within days, it warned.

The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) estimates that more than half of those displaced are sheltering in dozens of schools. UNRWA has designated emergency shelters to host them and provide critical aid, said the office. Cash assistance is also urgently needed for both displaced people and host communities in Gaza. Humanitarian partners are working to provide dignity kits and psychosocial support for affected families, it added.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun distributing food for up to 100,000 internally displaced people in Gaza, who are seeking refuge in UNRWA shelters, with fresh bread and canned food, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres on Monday said he was deeply distressed by Israel’s announcement that it would initiate a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, with nothing allowed in – no electricity, food, or fuel. The humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely dire even before the sudden escalation of violence over the weekend. Now it would only deteriorate exponentially, he warned at a press conference.