New York: During a press briefing on Tuesday, William Spindler, the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), conveyed that the ongoing conflict since April has resulted in an alarming humanitarian catastrophe, forcing more than 4.3 million individuals to flee their homes, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Margaret Harris, the representative for the World Health Organization (WHO), underscored the devastating toll of the conflict on individuals’ lives, health, and overall well-being.
Harris disclosed that a staggering 67 percent of hospitals in the most affected regions were non-operational. Over the course of four months, WHO confirmed 53 instances of attacks on healthcare facilities, which resulted in the loss of 11 lives, injuries to 38, and, combined with other disruptions, impeded access to medical care for tens of thousands.
Elizabeth Throssell, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), acknowledged that the precise casualty figures remained hard to ascertain, but preliminary estimates indicated that the death toll had exceeded 4,000, encompassing a significant number of civilian victims.
Throssell urgently appealed to all parties embroiled in the conflict to immediately halt hostilities, revive diplomatic negotiations, adhere to their international obligations as per humanitarian law, ensure the safeguarding of civilians from military actions, and grant unhindered access for critical humanitarian assistance.
Laila Baker, the Regional Director for the Arab States at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), expressed grave concern over the escalating conflict’s impact. She emphasized that the battle lines were solidifying, making it increasingly challenging to reach the millions of individuals in dire need of urgent aid.
Baker conveyed that more than 2.6 million women and girls were in dire need of humanitarian support, including approximately 260,000 who were presently pregnant. Additionally, nearly 100,000 were anticipated to give birth within the next three months. “Deprived of essential healthcare services, their lives, and the lives of their offspring—the future generation—face imminent jeopardy,” she emphasized.