Displacement orders force hundreds of thousands in Gaza to flee south

PHILADELPHIA (October 9, 2024) - Anew report from humanitarian organizations working in Gaza details the dire humanitarian situation and the consequences of massive forced displacement. The Humanitarian Access Snapshots are compiled by more than thirty organizations and document the challenges to providing aid due to Israel's constant bombardments, forced displacements, arbitrary restrictions, and other violations of International Humanitarian Law. See the full Humanitarian Access Snapshot here.

According to the report, as of October 8, 2024:

• Over 41,965 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and 97,590 reported injured, with thousands still missing under almost 39 million tons of rubble.
• Over 90% of the population in Gaza remains internally displaced and in abysmal conditions.
• At least 89% of Gaza is still under forced displacement orders in the face of continued bombardment and heavy rains and floods.
• On October 6, over 400,000 people in northern Gaza were directed to flee to overcrowded areas in the south, overwhelming already strained resources like food, water, and medical care.
• Similar orders were issued in central Gaza on October 5, affecting thousands of people sheltering there. Orders aimed at permanently altering Gaza's population are in serious violation of international law.
• The expansion of the Netzarim corridor and isolation of northern Gaza, and military operations that damage infrastructure and supply routes, limit humanitarian workers' ability to deliver life-saving assistance.
• Multiple organizations reported that they had been forced to cancel or delay planned aid operations to ensure the safety of those involved due to the risk of strikes and unsafe conditions.

"On top of the humanitarian catastrophe, Israel's expulsion orders direct almost half a million Palestinians in Northern Gazato move to an already overcrowded 'safe zone' that is still subjected to Israeli strikes. But even when people try to follow these orders, they are targeted by the Israeli army, shot at checkpoints, detained, or disappeared," said Hanady Muhiar, Palestine/Israel Country Representative for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). "This constitutes grave violations of international law that puts hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people at even greater risk. We need to end impunity, an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate and permanent cease-fire to prevent even more deaths."

Israel imposes restrictions on whether humanitarian supplies can enter, and Israeli airstrikes and other security issues can make it impossible for supplies to reach people in Gaza. The bombardments, destruction of roads, and unexploded devices place serious constraints on aid organizations. Overcrowding, constant displacement, floods, and famine create additional obstacles. These issues have delayed delivery of thousands of food and hygiene kits, along with essential shelter items for winter. Restrictions on fuel have forced humanitarian agencies to reduce or minimize their movements.

Palestinian organizations are at the forefront of responding to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Their staff are directly affected by the violence and devastation inflicted on themselves, their families, and communities. Since October 2023, more than 300 aid workers have been killed in Gaza alone - a loss which exceeds the total number of humanitarian aid workers killed in the entire world in any given year across the last twenty years.

"It was one of the most difficult and saddening moments when I received the news about the death of my mother and son at the shelter gate while I was providing hot meal assistance to the internally displaced people in other shelters," said one national partner of Islamic Relief.

The psychological toll on both the Palestinian population and aid workers lead to conditions of anxiety, depression and insomnia, underscoring the urgent need for mental health and trauma resources including medications, counseling materials, and therapy tools.

Humanitarian workers should not have to work in such challenging and dangerous conditions: the Israeli government must facilitate safe, unhindered access for all humanitarian assistance in both Gaza and the West Bank and guarantee the safety of all humanitarian actors.

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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.

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