UN warns of "slaughter" in Rafah

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths issued a statement regarding the developments.

Stating that the long-feared scenario is beginning to unfold very rapidly, Griffiths emphasized that more than half of the population of Gaza is trapped in Rafah, living "face-to-face with death."

Underlining that these individuals have no food, medical services, or places to sleep or go, Griffiths stated, "Like all the people of Gaza, they are being subjected to an assault that is unprecedented in its intensity, brutality, and scope."

Noting that more than 28 thousand people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza, Griffiths conveyed that humanitarian aid workers are also doing their best by "trying to achieve the impossible."

Griffiths recalled that on top of all this, public order has collapsed and funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has begun to be cut.

Pointing out that humanitarian aid workers are being shot, held at gunpoint, and killed, Griffiths emphasized that the humanitarian aid system is on the verge of collapse.

Stating that he is sounding the alarm again today, Griffiths warned that a ground offensive in Rafah could lead to a slaughter.

Reporting that the international community continues to warn Israel against an attack on Rafah and that the Israeli government must now heed the calls of the international community, Griffiths also noted that there are not enough guarantees, supplies, or personnel to maintain the humanitarian aid system.

Griffiths remarked, "History will not forgive. This war must end."

News Source: 12punto