Jenin camp going in ‘catastrophic direction’, UNRWA warns

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) yesterday warned that the situation in Jenin Refugee Camp, in the northern occupied West Bank, is taking a “catastrophic” turn due to the destruction of numerous homes and buildings by Israeli occupation forces.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma said: “The camp is going into a catastrophic direction.”

“Large parts of the camp were completely destroyed in a series of detonations by the Israeli forces. It is estimated that 100 houses were destroyed or heavily damaged,” she added.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that Israeli occupation forces have killed 70 Palestinians in the area since the beginning of the year.

“The residents of this particular camp have endured the impossible,” Touma said.

She noted that UNRWA’s 13 schools in the camp and surrounding areas remain closed, affecting 5,000 children.

The agency added that it had received no prior warning regarding the building demolitions, as communication between its staff and Israeli authorities had been severed due to Israel’s ban on UNRWA’s operations.

READ: Israeli military operation turns Jenin Refugee Camp into ‘ghost town’