New York: UNICEF Monday warned of a possible Israeli military ground invasion into Rafah that would pose “catastrophic” risks to 600,000 children sheltering in the embattled city.
According to a statement, UNICEF said more than 1.2 million Gazans sought refuge in Rafah after Israel’s evacuation orders in October to evacuate the north move to the south, noting that the population density in Rafah is almost twice the population density of New York City.
UNICEF said about half the population in Rafah are children, many of whom have been displaced several times and live in tents or informal and unstable housing, warning of “the possibility that evacuation corridors will be littered with mines or filled with unexploded ammunition.”
According to the statement, the military operations would lead to a “large” number of civilian casualties and the “complete” destruction of the few remaining basic services and infrastructure Gazans need to survive.
Source: Jordan News Agency