UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The consequences of the announced Israeli plan to take over Gaza City would be "beyond catastrophic," UN humanitarians warned Thursday.
"The impact of a full-blown offensive would be beyond catastrophic -- not only for those in the city but for the entire Gaza Strip," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. "Some neighborhoods have already seen deadly attacks in recent days."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters ahead of a Security Council meeting: "Israel's initial steps to militarily take over Gaza City signal a new and dangerous phase. Hundreds of thousands of civilians, already exhausted and traumatized, would be forced to flee yet again, plunging families into even deeper peril. This must stop."
OCHA said partners tracking population movements reported that approximately 1,300 people have fled from northern to southern Gaza in the last two days, bringing to 20,000 the number of north-south displacements since Aug. 14, when the Israeli plan was announced.
World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain called for faster approvals to move supplies into and within Gaza, for the safety of people to reach aid and for humanitarian workers to reach those in need.
"Gaza is at a breaking point. Desperation is soaring -- and I saw it firsthand." McCain said. "We must urgently be able to revive our vast and trusted network of 200 food distribution points across the Strip, community kitchens and bakeries."
She visited the Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates, where she saw a nutrition clinic that was keeping children alive, and spoke with displaced mothers who described their daily struggle to survive, often searching for scraps of food but finding nothing.
McCain's trip follows the announcement that famine is present in the Gaza governorate, affecting more than 500,000 people. It is likely to spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates by the end of September.
OCHA said the United Nations and its partners are bringing food assistance into Gaza daily, a moderate increase in the amount of humanitarian and commercial goods entering the strip, but far below what's needed to support 2 million people, many in extreme hunger.
For the first time since March, the Food and Agriculture Organization said it was able to provide vital animal feed to herders in Deir al-Balah. The agency said that 200 herders received two 100-kilogram sacks each, a crucial step to protect livestock and help curb the spread of famine.
OCHA said that delays and obstructions to humanitarian movements within Gaza continue, with movements that are approved by Israeli authorities still taking hours to complete.
"Between last Wednesday and this Tuesday, out of 89 attempts to coordinate movements with Israeli authorities across the Gaza Strip, only 59 percent were facilitated," including the transfer of fuel and the collection of medical, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, as well as staff movements and rotations, the humanitarian office said.
"Another 26 percent were initially approved but then impeded on the ground, 8 percent were denied outright, and 7 percent had to be withdrawn by the organizers," OCHA said. ■