United Nations:
An Israeli incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah could lead to a “carnage” and worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in the region, the United Nations humanitarian and health agency has warned.
The city is currently serving as a base for humanitarian operations in Gaza after months of heavy Israeli bombing and civilian casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a ground offensive in Rafah would continue regardless of a possible ceasefire with Hamas.
With more than 1.2 million people crammed into Rafah, the city's ailing healthcare system would not be able to withstand the potential devastation if Israel were to launch an incursion into the region.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza would be at immediate risk of death if an attack occurred, Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, warned at a news conference in Geneva.
“It could be a massacre of civilians and an incredible blow to the humanitarian operation across the strip,” he said.
The border town is a crucial entry point for humanitarian aid. Dozens of aid organizations are stockpiling supplies for civilians across the Gaza Strip, such as food, water, health care, sanitation and hygiene items in southern Gaza City.
The WHO is making contingency plans to ensure the health system is prepared and can continue to provide care, but these plans would only be a “band-aid,” Richard Peeperkorn, representative in the WHO Office for the West Bank and Gaza, told the briefing via video link.
An influx of new displaced people would worsen overcrowding, increasing pressure on resources such as food, water and health care, the WHO said in a statement.
This would lead to more disease outbreaks, worsen hunger and result in even more loss of life.
Only 33 percent of Gaza's 36 hospitals and 30 percent of primary health care centers are partially functional amid repeated attacks and shortages of essential medical supplies, fuel and staff, the Geneva-based health agency said.
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