[News Terms] 'Indojuui Eobmu Jojeongguk' Criticizes 'Gaja Resident Evacuation Order'

Israel's evacuation order is a forced move to dangerous areas
Risking lives to evacuate to places with no chance of obtaining food or water

The United Nations relief agency, the 'Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),' announced on the 8th (local time) that the Israeli military issued immediate evacuation orders again on the 7th and 8th for Gaza City, stating that 90% of Gaza residents have relocated more than twice following evacuation orders. It pointed out that these refugees are suffering as they repeatedly evacuate in situations where food or fuel supplies are blocked or disrupted.

Palestinian children fleeing to a safe place to escape attacks by the Israeli military are eating flatbread while sitting on top of a car with their belongings in the southernmost city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
[Photo by Rafah AFP/Yonhap News]

The 'Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)' is a UN-affiliated agency. It mainly organizes and coordinates international assistance in humanitarian situations caused by natural disasters, wars, internal conflicts, and the like. It has about 1,000 staff members worldwide, with major offices located in regions prone to conflicts and natural disasters.

The official name is the 'United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).' It is often abbreviated as 'OCHA.' It was established as a special agency by a resolution at the UN General Assembly in December 1991. It was launched to replace the UN Disaster Management Office, which was created in 1972, and its scale and importance have grown as complex disasters and civil wars have occurred worldwide.

The Israeli military ordered about 10,000 residents living in 19 blocks of Gaza City to evacuate immediately on Sunday, the 7th and 8th. On the 7th, some residents were ordered to evacuate to the western area of the Gaza Strip, and on the 8th, all residents, including those who had evacuated the previous day, were ordered to evacuate again to the refugee camp in Deir al-Balah city.

OCHA stated, "These two orders have adversely affected the entire area, including 13 medical facilities, two primary health centers, and nine temporary clinics, including two hospitals that were functioning until recently."

According to OCHA, out of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip, only 13 remain, and they are currently operating only partially. Also, 9 out of 10 Gaza residents have already experienced evacuation, so issuing new evacuation orders consecutively is merely forcing people who have evacuated multiple times to risk their lives and return to dangerous evacuation sites, OCHA criticized.

In particular, these people are forced to risk their lives to evacuate again to places where there is no prospect of obtaining safe shelter, food, water, or other essential life-sustaining supplies or services.

OCHA revealed the reality, saying, "Especially children have to stand in long lines every day to get water. It is very difficult to receive emergency treatment in urgent situations, and there is no communication to call an ambulance. To go to the nearest clinic, they have to pay an expensive fare of $26 (about 36,000 won) round trip or walk more than 3 km on foot."