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UNITED NATIONS, August 27 (LatinNews) – The United Nations confirmed today that it will maintain operations in Gaza despite the increased threat, while a vaccination campaign against polio is planned.
“The mass evacuation order is the latest in a long list of intolerable threats facing humanitarian and UN personnel,” Gilles Michaud, the organization’s assistant secretary-general for security and surveillance, condemned in a statement on Tuesday.
The senior official condemned measures taken by the IDF that forced more than 200 UN staff to leave their offices and residences in the important humanitarian center of Deir el-Balah over the weekend.
“Like most Palestinians in Gaza, there is no safe space left for our own staff,” Michaud warned.
The deputy minister acknowledged that the current situation could not be worse amid preparations for a UN-driven anti-polio campaign, which will require a large number of personnel to enter the Gaza Strip.
“The IDF’s actions this weekend have exacerbated existing security threats and have severely impacted the speed with which we can safely deliver assistance,” the official added.
A day earlier, the United Nations anticipated a possible pause in its operations and warned that continuing work would come at an unprecedented risk because of the evacuation order.
An official assured the press that the new move to evacuate Deir el Balah, located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, leaves few options for UN work after several relocations, although it does not mean a suspension of UN work.
The representative, who requested anonymity, said the agency’s personnel were operating at the “highest level” and were increasingly exceeding the restrictions imposed by the offensive that began on October 7.
He added: “The humanitarian situation there is so dire that we have no choice but to push the limits of risk acceptance.”
Michaud stressed that under international humanitarian law, the ability to provide assistance depends on the obligations of all parties to the conflict to do everything they can to protect the safety of our colleagues.
The representative reiterated his call for respect for international law and his commitments under the Charter of the United Nations to ensure the safety of United Nations personnel and facilities.
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