Gaza: New evacuation order affects more than 2,000 people in Khan Younis

Monday’s order is the fourth such evacuation order for the area since July and covers about three square kilometers.

OCHA reiterated that repeated evacuation orders – now in effect for around 80 percent of the Gaza Strip – expose civilians to the dangers of hostilities and deny them access to vital services.

“Tightened siege” in the north

The agency noted that North Gaza Governorate has been under an ever-increasing siege for nearly two months, leaving between 65,000 and 75,000 people without regular access to food, water, electricity or reliable healthcare, while mass casualties continue.

Meanwhile, aid partners report that Gaza’s entire population is in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than 58,000 people with disabilities who face further challenges accessing food.

In the south, some people skip meals and scavenge through garbage for food or resort to desperate measures, including forced marriage or child labor with relatives.

Aid operations hindered

Despite the catastrophic situation, OCHA warned that humanitarian access continued to be hindered.

“In November, of 578 planned relief movements across the Gaza Strip that require coordination with Israeli authorities, 41 percent were facilitated. More than a third were rejected outright, the rest were either prevented or canceled due to security and logistical problems.

OCHA reiterated that civilians must be able to receive the humanitarian assistance they need, adding: “Whether they move or stay, they must receive assistance and be protected – and those who flee must be allowed to return, as soon as circumstances permit.” ”