United Nations: 1.9 million people in Gaza estimated to be internally displaced

A picture taken from a position in southern Israel along the border with the Gaza Strip, shows smoke billowing over the Palestinian territory during Israeli bombardment on January 4, 2024, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. - AFP

NEW YORK (Bernama-WAFA): The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees said 1.9 million people, or nearly 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza, were estimated to be internally displaced.

This include some who have been displaced multiple times, as families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety, Palestine News and Information Agency (WAFA) reported.

The UNRWA said that nearly 1.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are sheltering in 155 UNRWA facilities across all five governorates.

Rafah governorate is now the main refuge for those displaced, with over one million people, squeezed into an extremely overcrowded space, following the intensification of hostilities in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, and the Israeli military’s evacuation orders.

Obtaining an accurate figure of the total number of IDPs remains challenging.

It added that the number of IDPs in the northern governorates has not been updated since 12 Oct due to access constraints and the security situation preventing verification. - Bernama-WAFA