UN scales up humanitarian efforts in Gaza as 545,000 people move north

Over 545,000 people have moved from southern Gaza to the northern part of the Gaza Strip in the past week. 

This was confirmed during a briefing by UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric who cited UN estimates, Caliber.Az reports referring to Turkish media.

Additionally, more than 36,000 individuals travelled from northern Gaza to the southern regions.

Dujarric highlighted the ongoing expansion of humanitarian efforts in Gaza, including a program aimed at preventing child disappearances. More than 30,000 children under the age of 4 have received identification bracelets, which are critical as over 250 children have been separated from their families during the displacement.

The spokesperson also addressed the Israeli military actions in Jenin, located in the northern West Bank, where 20 buildings housing over 50 families were destroyed. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reiterated its concerns about the use of military tactics beyond established standards.

Humanitarian aid has been significantly scaled up in Gaza since the ceasefire began on January 19. The World Food Program (WFP) has delivered more food in the first four days of the ceasefire than it did in all of December, with 840 truckloads of food and relief supplies entering Gaza, compared to 915 the previous day. Additionally, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) provided enough food for 1 million people in the first three days of the ceasefire.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has also been supplying vital goods such as medicine, hygiene kits, and warm clothing, and expanding access to essential services like water. Humanitarian workers have been monitoring the return of displaced people to northern Gaza since January 27, providing hot meals and emergency medical care.

This increased assistance follows diplomatic efforts led by Washington, Doha, and Cairo to mediate a ceasefire and facilitate the release of hostages. The first phase of the agreement, lasting 42 days, will see the Palestinian militant group Hamas release 33 hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The ceasefire officially began on January 19, the same day that three Israeli hostages were released.

By Tamilla Hasanova