UN Secretary-General Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq’s Statements on Gaza
UN Deputy Spokesperson-General Farhan Haq assessed the humanitarian situation in Gaza at a daily press conference. Citing data provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Haq said, “OCHA, our partners monitoring population movements in Gaza, indicate that despite recent evacuation orders, many families remain in evacuated areas due to the high level of insecurity across Gaza. These families have very limited access to basic services and the difficult living conditions are exhausting as they have been displaced multiple times.”
Haq emphasized that the people of Gaza should be able to receive humanitarian assistance, saying, “Those who choose to leave their homes should be able to do so safely and should be allowed to return as soon as conditions permit.” He emphasized the urgency of humanitarian assistance at this point.
Citing World Health Organization (WHO) sources, Farhan Haq said that the mass displacement in Gaza had a “serious impact” on public health. Overcrowding and lack of shelter, as well as poor sanitation and poor hygiene, “increase the danger of infectious diseases,” he said.
The Deputy Spokesperson also noted that WHO has warned of an increase in the number of patients requiring medical evacuation outside Gaza due to the ongoing conflict, which underscores the difficult situation the health system in the region is going through.
