450,000 people who fled Rafah lack shelter, water and latrines, UN says

Palestinian pack their belongings as they prepare to flee Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 13, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Almost 450,000 people who have fled Rafah over the last week lack shelter, water and latrines, according to the UN’s main relief agency in Gaza (UNRWA).

UNRWA reported Tuesday that families continue to flee Rafah in search of safety, fleeing wherever they can – including to rubble and sand dunes.

The report said families displaced from Rafah are arriving at sites that lack shelter, latrines and water points.

The UN report said all parties must respect international humanitarian law and civilians’ essential needs “including food, shelter, water and health – must be met, wherever they are in Gaza and whether they move or stay. ”

It is impossible to improve the situation at displacement sites if supplies can’t enter Gaza, it said.

The report also said that Israeli settlers attacked aid trucks bound for Gaza in the occupied West Bank on Monday, according to the agency’s office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“The settlers offloaded and vandalized the vehicles at the Tarqumiya checkpoint and near the Barrier by Beit ‘Awwa. Several trucks were damaged,” OCHA said.

The UN called for Israel to do more to protect aid trucks from violence by Israeli settlers and ensure that all allegations of settler violence are investigated and the perpetrators prosecuted.