UN says nearly 2 Lakh people displaced in Gaza, highest since 2014

A total of 187,518 people have evacuated their homes in Gaza, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, with 137,427 taking refuge in UNRWA schools at the moment. The UN agency reports in a “flash update” that as of “Monday” afternoon, it is estimated that over 187,518 individuals in Gaza have fled their homes. UNRWA is housing 137,427 of them in 83 schools, some of which have served as emergency shelters. Since the 50-day escalation of hostilities in 2014, which was the worst escalation ever recorded in Gaza since 1967, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is the biggest number of individuals to have been displaced. More than 41,000 IDPs, whose homes have been damaged or destroyed, are reportedly being housed by family members and neighbors. Israeli forces ordered Palestinian populations in Khan Yunis and the Middle Area of Gaza to leave their homes during the night of October 9 due to continued hostilities. This might have an impact on hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. For the third day running, Israeli airstrikes and land shelling persisted through the night and the whole day. The passage of emergency response personnel and medical teams to victims has been hampered by the destruction of streets and infrastructure. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli retaliatory strikes has grown to above 680.