United Nations News Centre - Gaza: deadly shelling of another UN school draws condemnation, calls for ceasefire: "“Of the quarter million people displaced in Gaza, an estimated 204,000 are in 82 schools serving as UNRWA shelters, according to OCHA, the equivalent of 10 per cent of Gaza's population.“Our capacity is stretched to the limit,” said Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Given the deteriorating humanitarian situation, peoples' needs will continue to grow,” Ms. Amos said, echoing calls for a ceasefire that would end the conflict. “Let's put people first.”
In today's press conference, Mr. Ging added that Gazans are gripped by “mortal fear” and are caught up in a “traumatic drama.”
“They are being told to flee areas, get out of areas, but to where? Where should they flee? In the end, we don't have the answer for them,” he said, adding that unlike in conflicts in other parts of the world, they population does not have an option of crossing borders.
He also reiterated the humanitarian challenges to providing aid, given that over 70 per cent of the people in Gaza are in need of steady assistance. Among the top priorities are shelter, food and water, and sanitation.
Today's attack was also condemned by UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown.
“This attack emphasizes the urgent need for both parties to end the militarization of schools and to recognize that the violation of schools and schoolchildren is outlawed by the international community,” Mr. Brown said in a statement.
“Schools should not be targeted nor should weapons be stored in them,” he added. “We must protect these places of learning.”
Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, said in her condemnation that the situation is particularly worrying given the damage done to health facilities, which puts an additional strain on already limited resources to care for sick and injured children.
“Rockets fired into Israel by Hamas have injured children and damaged schools. Israeli children also deserve to live in peace,” she added."
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