Tuesday, December 19, 2023

More than 90% of the Gazan population have been recently displaced

 
Over 60% of the infrastructure in #Gaza has been destroyed or damaged. 
 
More than 90% of the Gazan population have been displaced. 
 
This is a staggering and unprecedented level of destruction and forced displacement, taking place in front of our eyes.    https://www.unrwa.org/
 
18 December 2023

The humanitarian tragedy in Gaza has cast a long shadow over international events to mark 75 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, serving as the starkest illustration in decades of the failure to implement these rights fully for Palestine Refugees. 

“Human rights apply to everyone, without distinction, whoever they are and wherever they are. But for Palestine Refugees the promise of universal rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has rarely seemed so distant, and the challenges to realising these rights seldom so daunting,” said Stephanie Case, Chief of the Protection Division at UNRWA. 

“It is disregard for human rights that has led us to where we are today. Adherence to human rights is crucial to for an alternative future where stability, peace and justice prevail.” 

Amid international outcry about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war in Gaza, it is essential to bring back to the centre of all policy and public discussions the baseline for human dignity that the international community agreed to in 1948: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  

The 75th anniversary of this landmark accord, marked last week, coincides with the 75th year since the Nakba – the mass forced displacement of Palestinians. 

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October, the Israeli Authorities have forcibly moved up to 1.9 million Gazans from their homes, in the largest forced displacement of Palestinians since 1948. 

Although different in scope, both international human rights law and international humanitarian law provide protection to persons during armed conflict. Human rights apply at all times, both during peace and in war. They are universal, inherent in all individuals, and include the rights to life, food, health, housing, education, and freedom of movement 

UNRWA, founded in 1949, has worked since its inception to safeguard the rights of Palestine Refugees, notably to health and education, by providing essential services. In Gaza, this has been completely derailed by the war. 

Conditions in Gaza are catastrophic. Under relentless bombardment, thousands of civilians have been killed, the majority of them women and children, with 136 UNRWA staff among those killed, the highest in the history of the United Nations. 

An entire population of 2.2 million people are being denied food, water, medical supplies, and other basics of survival, as diseases loom large. Whole neighbourhoods have been destroyed and emptied of their inhabitants. Nearly 1.4 million people are now sheltering in 155 UNRWA installations – mostly schools transformed into overcrowded emergency shelters – seeking safety under the UN flag. This has not stopped UNRWA installations from being hit, resulting in further loss of life and injury – to date, 115 UNRWA buildings have been damaged in bombardments, resulting in almost 300 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. 

In the West Bank, meanwhile, escalating violence has reached levels not seen in two decades. Palestine Refugees are leaving the camps where they live in growing numbers, driven by fear and insecurity. More refugees have been killed in the last two months than in any single year since the UN started documenting fatalities in 2005.  

The attacks by Hamas on 7 October were abhorrent and an assault against human rights. Taking civilians as hostages, including women and children, is prohibited under international law and unacceptable.  

There must be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. International law must be upheld, and there must be accountability for violations. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to enter Gaza and delivered throughout Gaza in a safe, rapid, unimpeded, and sustainable way to those in need. And the human rights we acknowledge today for all human beings must be respected and protected for Palestinians. 



19 December 2023
More than 13,000 displaced people from around Gaza City and northern Gaza have taken refuge in one of the UNRWA schools in Deir al-Balah, living crammed in its 80 classrooms. Of the many children in this emergency shelter, 400 are less than a year old - and 42 of them were...
 
12 December 2023
Despite Israeli military orders to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip, Dr. Hasan, an UNRWA doctor at the Fakhoura Health Centre, remained. Dr. Hasan joined an Area of Responsibility (AoR) team for the north area, while simultaneously evacuating his home with his family
 
12 December 2023
Despite Israeli military orders to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip, Dr. Hasan, an UNRWA doctor at the Fakhoura Health Centre, remained. Dr. Hasan joined an Area of Responsibility (AoR) team for the north area, while simultaneously evacuating his home with his family
 
21 October 2023
We ran out of water, and we haven’t had electricity for the past 12 days. We started using water we use for plants for washing up, laundry and cleaning the dishes. We boil water for drinking and cooking, but the issue now is that we are also running out of cooking gas.
 
18 October 2023
In the midst of dire circumstances brought about by the escalating Israeli bombardment in Gaza City, Azmi Diab, an eighth-grade student, faced numerous hardships.
 
14 October 2023
In UNRWA’s crowded Khan Younis Training Centre (KYTC) shelter, among 22,000 terrified displaced people, Abu Rami Abdraboh, a weathered yet dignified man, sits in the midst of a circle of his wide-eyed grandsons. The yard is filled with the hushed whispers of other displaced...
 
27 June 2023
The 16th anniversary of the blockade on Gaza – marked throughout the month of June - reflects profoundly throughout the small enclave. The blockade has cast a dark shadow over the lives of Palestine Refugees, perpetuating a state of chronic crisis.

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