Gaza near humanitarian 'collapse,' lasting cease-fire imperative: UN migration agency

The UN migration agency on Thursday called for a "lasting and immediate" cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, as the humanitarian situation is "near collapse" due to intense fighting and lack of access.

"The scale of displacement in Gaza is massive; the humanitarian conditions are deeply alarming and at the brink of collapse," said a statement by Amy Pope, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"An immediate ceasefire is needed to deliver adequate food, water, and other essentials to save lives and alleviate the tremendous suffering of civilians," said the statement, which came a day after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, urging the UN Security Council to appeal for a humanitarian cease-fire in the Palestinian enclave.  

Expressing the IOM's "grave" concern about the mass displacement of civilians in Gaza and reports of further evacuations, Pope said:

"The people of Gaza must have immediate access to safe shelter, medical care, food, hygiene and sanitation facilities and ensure that family members are not separated. Civilians and humanitarian aid workers must be protected."

An estimated 1.9 million people are displaced in Gaza — about 85% of the population — lacking basic necessities such as food, water, dignified shelter, and sanitation facilities, as well as medical care, according to the statement.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip Dec. 1 after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with the Palestinian group Hamas.

At least 17,177 Palestinians have been killed and more than 46,000 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.