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450,000 Gazans forcibly displaced from Rafah: UN
“Empty streets in Rafah as families continue to flee in search of safety… UNRWA estimates that nearly 450,000 people have been forcibly displaced from Rafah since 6 May,” said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, in a post from western Rafah on X.
“Inland in Rafah is now a ghost town. It’s hard to believe there were over one million people sheltering here just a week ago,” reported UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge. “People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate cease-fire is the only hope,” according to the UN official website.
The development comes as airstrikes continued to hit northern and southern Gaza, amid reports that the Israeli military said that it had hit 120 targets just in 24 hours.
“Ground incursions and heavy fighting continue to be reported in eastern Rafah, as well Gaza city and the Jabaliya Refugee Camp,” the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said in its latest situation update late Monday.
Many of those forced to leave eastern Rafah had already been displaced multiple times in the past seven months, the UN office explained.
In the north, evacuation orders were also issued on Saturday “amid ongoing Israeli bombardment there”, OCHA said, noting that some 100,000 people have left their homes and shelters so far.
“OCHA remains deeply concerned about the lack of protection for civilians – and the lack of safety for humanitarian operations,” the UN agency said, noting that one-fifth of Gaza’s population had been displaced in just the last week. “Civilians must be protected and have their basic needs met, whether they move or stay. Those who leave must have enough time to do so, as well as a safe route and a safe place to go.”