Geneva (Union)
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities confirmed yesterday that the lack of advance warning of the Israeli attacks on Gaza, in addition to the destruction of communications networks and civilian infrastructure and the resulting rubble, deprives people with disabilities of the necessary movement to flee, evacuate, and seek protection, and that people with disabilities do not receive There are no timely information to evacuate to save their lives from air strikes and bombings, and there are no humanitarian corridors or specific safe shelters to go to.
The committee warned that people with disabilities in Gaza, including children, are at great risk of being separated from their families and experiencing unbearable suffering, in addition to not having access to medical care and medications to treat chronic diseases, not obtaining psychological and social support, and increasing the risk of death, stressing that The blockade on Gaza has exacerbated the food crisis and made it more difficult for people with disabilities to reach food distribution or purchase points.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, announced yesterday that the conditions of the displaced in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, are “tragic.”
This came in a press conference held by Lazzarini after his meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, according to a statement by Mikati’s media office.
Lazzarini said: “The conditions in Rafah are tragic, in light of the presence of about a million displaced Palestinians, who are half the population of the Gaza Strip,” adding, “We are suffering in bringing aid into the Gaza Strip, and yesterday we saw a disturbing and terrifying picture of the victims there, and communications are not available with colleagues on the ground.” . He stressed that “the agency has been weakened financially over the past years, and the matter worsened when Israel accused some of our employees of participating in the October 7 attacks.”
He revealed that “14 out of 16 donors that suspended funding have resumed their contributions to the agency,” pointing out that 192 of the agency’s employees were killed in the Gaza Strip, and this is unprecedented. Lazzarini added that a huge number of facilities were destroyed or damaged, and a very large number of humanitarian convoys were intercepted or attacked.
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