Rafah is 'pressure cooker' as Gazans flee south - U.N. aid agency

Palestinians receive bags of flour distributed by UNRWA in Rafah

Palestinians gather to receive bags of flour distributed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Source: X01833

The United Nations humanitarian office on Friday voiced concern about the hostilities in Khan Younis that have forced more people to flee to Rafah in the south of Gaza, describing the border town as a "pressure cooker of despair".

"I want to emphasize our deep concern about the escalation of hostilities in Khan Yunis, which has resulted in an increase in the number of internally displaced people seeking refuge in Rafah in recent days," said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"Thousands of Palestinians have continued to flee to the south, which is already hosting over half the population of some 2.3 million people. ... Rafah is a pressure cooker of despair, and we fear for what comes next."

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By Reuters