UN says over 400,000 people displaced in Gaza, appeals for $403m
Smoke billows following Israeli strikes amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza, Oct 13, 2023.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONOctober 13, 2023 6:38 AM
GENEVA — The UN humanitarian office (OCHA) said early on Friday (Oct 13) that more than 400,000 people had fled their homes in the Gaza Strip and 23 aid workers had been killed since the start of Israeli retaliatory strikes in response to a deadly Hamas incursion.
The agency launched an appeal for nearly US$294 million (S$403 million) to help some 1.3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank, of which nearly half was programmed for food aid as supplies run out.
"Mass displacement continues. In the Gaza Strip, the cumulative number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) increased by 25 per cent over the past 24 hours, now exceeding 423,000, of whom over two thirds are taking shelter in UNRWA schools," OCHA said, referring to the UN Palestinian refugee agency.
It said 23 aid workers had so far been killed since the weekend, including 11 health workers and 12 UNRWA employees.
ALSO READ: Israel calls for all civilians to leave Gaza City