UNRWA halts work in Rafah, shifts to Khan Younis

Gaza, The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has suspended its work in Rafah after the Israeli army entered the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip. "UNRWA had to stop health and other critical services in Rafah," the UN agency's chief Philippe Lazzarini wrote on social media platform X on Saturday evening. The aid organisation is now working from the city of Khan Younis north of Rafah and from the central Gaza Strip. "In Khan Younis we restarted operations despite damage to all our facilities," Lazzarini wrote. The UNRWA staff had left Rafah and were continuing their work in Khan Younis, according to the Deutsche Press Agency (dpa). The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued their operation in Gaza's Rafah on Saturday despite extensive international criticism. According to the UNRWA chief, there are currently 1.7 million people in Khan Younis in the south of the coastal area and in the central Gaza Strip. UNRWA began to gradually resume its work in Kha n Younis following the withdrawal of the Israeli army in April and is now primarily providing services there. Previously, the agency's work focused on Rafah. Lazzarini said all 36 of the aid organisation's shelters there are now empty. UNRWA said thousands of displaced people are now living amidst rubble and in destroyed aid organization facilities in the Jabalia refugee camp after the Israeli army recently withdrew from the town in the north of the Gaza Strip. Source: Bahrain News Agency