Gaza: UN Agencies Warn of Escalating Attacks, Mass Displacement, and Famine

Kokcha News Agency: UN agencies have issued urgent warnings about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where civilians are facing escalating attacks, mass displacement, and severe hunger. The UN human rights office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OHCHR) stated that Israeli military tactics in Gaza City, including strikes on homes and schools, are “inflicting terror” and forcing thousands to flee.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 20,000 people were displaced in a single day this week, bringing the total number of people who have fled Gaza City since mid-August to over 320,000.

Health services in Gaza are also collapsing. A key clinic run by the Palestinian Medical Relief Society was destroyed, injuring staff and cutting off critical care for hundreds of patients, including those needing trauma, cancer, and mental health services. Doctors at Gaza’s largest hospital, al-Shifa, are overwhelmed by casualties from Israeli strikes and shelling, forced to operate in unsanitary conditions.

The UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, warned that famine conditions have taken hold across Gaza, with more than half a million people starving and 390 deaths confirmed, including 140 children. Women and girls are particularly at risk, facing unsafe childbirth and rising gender-based violence as essential services disappear. UNFPA is appealing for urgent funding to keep maternity and protection programmes running.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) tweeted that Gaza has experienced yet another heavy night of bombardment, with many children reported killed or injured. The agency noted that Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita worldwide.

OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan condemned attacks on a flotilla of activists attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, describing the incidents as “defying belief.” The Global Sumud Flotilla, a group protesting Israel’s siege of Gaza, reportedly faced drone attacks and communication jamming. Al-Kheetan called for an independent investigation into the attacks and urged Israel to allow lifesaving aid to reach civilians without hindrance.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk called on Israel to urgently lift the blockade and facilitate the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid.