“As the war in Gaza increasingly encroaches on Rafah, I am extremely concerned for the safety and well-being of families who have endured the unthinkable in search of safety,” the representative wrote in a message posted on the social networking site X, formerly Twitter.

His warning coincides with that of agencies on the ground that consider ‘likely’ the increase of hostilities in that demarcation bordering Egypt.

The UN estimates indicate that about 1.4 million people are sheltering in the governorate, which is also the location of one of the crossings for the entry of humanitarian aid.

More than half of Gaza’s population is crowded into Rafah, a city of originally 250,000 people just outside Egypt, Griffiths added, warning that increased fighting poses new obstacles to the humanitarian response.

Their living conditions are abysmal; they lack the basic necessities for survival, beset by hunger, disease and death,’ he said.

Press reports claim that Israeli airstrikes left 14 dead, including five children, during Thursday night in the area.

For its part, the World Food Program (WFP) confirmed the increasing risk of famine in Gaza, citing the latest nutritional assessments.

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