UN: ’30,000 People Per Kilometer Packed in Al-Mawasi’

The United Nations stated, Wednesday the number of people per square kilometer in Gaza’s “Al-Mawasi” has reached 30,000 due to the influx of displaced people.

UNRWA pointed out that “many Palestinians are taking refuge in parts of Al-Mawasi in the middle of the Gaza Strip, and that the ongoing military operations and that repeated evacuation orders have forced families in Gaza to be displaced repeatedly.”

It added to that “every 30,000 people currently live in one square kilometer in the Al-Mawasi area, compared to 1,200 people per square kilometer before the war of extermination waged by the occupying Israeli state.”

UN data shows “9 out of every 10 people in Gaza have been displaced, and that most Palestinians in Gaza are forced to move at least once a month.”

Al-Mawasi area is located along the coasts of the cities of Deir al-Balah, Khan Yunis and Rafah, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in the southern Gaza Strip. It lacks infrastructure and has little capacity for urban expansion.

Since 7 October, 2023, the Israeli army continued its aggression on the Gaza Strip, with American and European support, as its aircraft bomb the vicinity of hospitals, buildings, towers, and Palestinian civilian homes, destroying them over the heads of their residents, and preventing the entry of water, food, medicine, and fuel.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza has led to the martyrdom of 40,223, the injury of 92,981 others, and the displacement of 90% of the Gaza population according to data from the United Nations as pointed out by JO24.

  • CrossFireArabia

    CrossFireArabia

    Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

    Related Posts

    Gaza Faces Public Health Crises

    Amid sweltering heat, raw sewage and overflowing trash, displaced families in southern Gaza are facing an escalating public health crisis as aid remains blocked and medical supplies dwindle.

    In the makeshift coastal encampments of Al Mawasi, families have no choice but to live in unsanitary conditions that are rapidly turning deadly, Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer at Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, told UN News.

    She described an increasingly dire situation: malnourished children and families, already worn down by months of war, battle unrelenting heat, unsanitary conditions, a lack of clean water and limited access to healthcare.

    “The trash is just out of control. The sewage, the rodents, the pests, the rats, the mice – all of these animals are going between the structures that people are sheltering in,” she said.

    As the days hot up, “disease is spreading. There is not enough medicine,” she added. UNRWA teams are conducting intensive clean up campaigns, but their resources are running out.

    They’ve got about 10 days left of pesticides. Supplies are going to run out,” Ms. Wateridge warned.

    Heavy equipment destroyed

    The worsening conditions are being compounded by the destruction of Gaza’s public health infrastructure.

    According to the UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA), more than 30 vehicles essential for waste management, water supply and sewage maintenance were destroyed by Israeli airstrikes between 21 and 22 April.

    In the past week alone, at least 23 reported strikes have hit tents sheltering internally displaced persons (IDPs), killing dozens of civilians – including women, children, and persons with disabilities.

    Health system under strain

    OCHA also noted that Gaza’s health system is continuing to collapse.

    Over half of the remaining health facilities are located in zones under evacuation orders, posing serious access challenges for communities in urgent need. There are also widespread shortages of medicine, equipment and medical staff.

    As of 15 April, an estimated 420,000 people have been displaced – many for the second or third time.

    Shrinking humanitarian space

    Humanitarian space continues to be shut down. Vital humanitarian aid has not entered Gaza for 52 consecutive days.

    OCHA noted that between 15 and 21 April, nearly half of the planned humanitarian movements were denied or impeded.

    It reported that out of 42 planned aid missions across the Gaza Strip that were coordinated with the Israeli authorities, 20 were denied, two faced impediments, 19 were facilitated and one was cancelled.

    Meanwhile, UN agencies also have to contend with lack of funds to sustain their programmes.

    As of 22 April, donors have disbursed about $569 million out of the $4.07 billion (about 14 per cent) required to meet the most critical humanitarian needs of three million people requiring assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

    UN News

    Continue reading
    Gallant Admits Hamas Wouldn’t Harm Israel Captives

    In an interview on the “Call Me Back” podcast, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant admitted that they knew Hamas would do everything necessary to preserve the lives of Israeli captives because they were “their insurance policy.”

    Gallant’s admissions completely contradict Israel’s claims and propaganda regarding the captives, especially concerning the Bibas children, confirming reports that some Israeli captives were killed in Israeli airstrikes.

    Continue reading

    You Missed

    Israel Starts Forced Displacement Under World Silence

    Israel Starts Forced Displacement Under World Silence

    Gaza Faces Public Health Crises

    Gaza Faces Public Health Crises

    Susan Sarandon Stands With Palestine

    Susan Sarandon Stands With Palestine

    Sheep in a Wolf Clothing

    Sheep in a Wolf Clothing