“On X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr. Griffiths expressed his deep concern for the safety and well-being of families in Rafah as the war in Gaza continues to spread.”

The experienced aid worker expressed his thoughts after news outlets reported that Israeli airstrikes in Rafah resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals, including five young children.

Meanwhile, the UN office responsible for coordinating aid, OCHA, stated that the Israeli military declared a brief and strategic halt of military operations in the western area of Rafah between 10am and 2pm on Wednesday for the sake of humanitarian efforts.

Guterres two-State solution call

Expressing concern over the ongoing increase in violence in Gaza, which has persisted for five months, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, informed Member States on Wednesday that he was particularly troubled by information indicating that the Israeli military plans to target Rafah next. This city is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who are facing dire circumstances as they try to find a place of refuge.

During a speech to Member States, the UN leader restated that Hamas’s “horrific terror attacks” against Israel on October 7th, which led to intense bombing and a ground operation, cannot be justified.

Mr. Guterres emphasized the need for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in order to achieve peace. He also stressed the importance of taking irreversible steps towards a two-State solution.

Relief lifeline threat

The aid community has issued a warning that continued conflict in the Rafah governorate, where approximately 1.4 million individuals are seeking refuge, will likely result in more casualties.

Mr. Griffiths, the UN’s emergency relief chief and head of OCHA, stated that over half of Gaza’s population is concentrated in Rafah, a town located on the border of Egypt with a population of 250,000. He described the living conditions as extremely poor, with residents lacking basic necessities and facing threats of hunger, disease, and death.

Highlighting the increasing hopelessness felt by millions of Gazans uprooted by the violence – and the frustration of aid teams trying to help them – Mr. Griffiths warned that any further spread of fighting could create even more obstacles to relief efforts already hobbled by Israeli forces’ repeated access restrictions and damaged infrastructure.

Famine risk confirmed again

Recent nutrition evaluations conducted by relief workers have shown that the likelihood of a famine in Gaza is steadily growing.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has released a warning, expressing specific concerns for approximately 300,000 individuals in northern Gaza who have been mostly disconnected from aid and are facing the highest levels of food insecurity according to assessments.

According to the latest update from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP) stated that the humanitarian aid currently reaching Gaza City in the northern part of the Strip is insufficient to prevent a famine. The WFP emphasized the urgent need for quicker and consistent access. OCHA’s report also revealed that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was last able to distribute food in the northern area of Wadi Gaza on January 23rd.

Source: news.un.org