Today's Edition
NEW YORK (WAM)
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said that the organisation and its humanitarian partners are working tirelessly to broaden assistance for those in need, including children.
He noted that UN partners have delivered tens of thousands of critical items over the past two years to people who have suffered immensely as a result of the war.
Dujarric, speaking on Tuesday, reaffirmed the UN’s call to open all available border crossings and corridors to ensure unimpeded access for international medical emergency teams, enabling patients to receive treatment. He added that during the last 10 days of November, 160 activity tents were distributed, enabling thousands of children to access mental health and psychosocial support activities and case management services.
He said that partners of the organisation in Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis continued to reach thousands of people with psychosocial support, legal counselling, and education on the risks posed by explosive ordnance.
On the health front, Dujarric confirmed that on Monday the World Health Organisation team led the medical evacuation of 18 patients and 54 companions from Gaza for treatment abroad. He pointed out that more than 16,500 patients still need life-saving care that is not available in Gaza.
He said that violence remains widespread in Gaza despite the ceasefire, noting that - over the past 24 hours - the UN has continued to receive reports of air strikes, shelling, and gunfire in all five governorates of the Gaza Strip.
He explained that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) helped coordinate the rescue of injured people in the At Tufah neighbourhood of Gaza City, following a distress call received from the area by Civil Defence teams.
Dujarric said that OCHA remains concerned about the impact of operations by Israeli forces in the northern governorates of Tubas and Jenin in recent days, amid reports of displacement, insecurity, destruction of water networks and the closure of several commercial structures.
He noted that - in the past two days alone - nearly two dozen Palestinian families have been displaced from their homes, which were turned into military observation posts.
