NEW YORK, (PIC)
The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said that the past 100 days have felt like 100 years for the people of Gaza due to the Israeli military aggression. Lazzarini added in a statement, “The magnitude of death, destruction, displacement, hunger, loss, and sorrow in the past 100 days stains our common humanity.”
He pointed out that in the past 100 days, continuous shelling across Gaza has caused mass displacement of a community in a constant state of change, as they were uprooted and forced to leave places overnight, only to move to equally unsafe locations.
He affirmed that this is the largest displacement of the Palestinian people since 1948, affecting over 2 million individuals, which is the entire population of Gaza. He said, “Many of them will suffer physically and psychologically for life. The vast majority, including children, suffer severe psychological trauma.”
He highlighted that UNRWA’s overcrowded and unhealthy shelters have become a “home” for over 1.4 million people. He said, “They lack everything, from food to hygiene items to privacy. People live in inhumane conditions where diseases, including among children, are spreading. They are living in unstable conditions for human habitation, rapidly approaching famine.”
Lazzarini emphasized that the crisis in Gaza is a man-made catastrophe exacerbated by inhumane practices, including the use of food, water, and fuel as tools of war.
He stressed that humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient to avert the looming famine, calling for the flow of commercial goods to be allowed and for the elimination of cumbersome procedures for aid entry into Gaza, as well as the obstacles hindering the safe and organized distribution of aid.
The UNRWA Commissioner-General noted that Israel disregards international humanitarian law, which was designed to protect civilians, warning of the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and UNRWA shelters, during the past three months, resulting in the killing of hundreds of civilians and injuring thousands.
He expressed regret that despite repeated appeals, the humanitarian ceasefire remains ineffective in stopping the killing of people in Gaza and enabling the safe delivery of food, medicine, water, and shelter.
As the winter season begins, he underlined that living conditions have deteriorated, especially for those living outdoors. He said, “Humanitarian workers, including 146 of my colleagues in UNRWA, as well as doctors, journalists, and children have been killed – no one has been spared. Entire residential neighborhoods, places of worship, and historical buildings have been demolished, eradicating centuries of history, civilization, and people’s memories.”
Lazzarini concluded by saying, “For the people of Gaza, the past 100 days have felt like 100 years.”
