Middle East crisis: large parts of Rafah now a ‘ghost town’, says Unrwa spokesperson – as it happened

Louise Wateridge, in a post on X, said it was hard to believe there were over a million people sheltering here just a week ago'. This live blog is closed

One of ActionAid's partners in Rafah has paused humanitarian operations there, with the charity warning that aid operations could grind to a complete halt" as aid workers face an unprecedented" level of danger making their jobs become impossible".

The charity says that aid workers in Rafah are experiencing the same inhumane living conditions as the rest of the population" and that virtually no aid" has entered Gaza in recent days despite the deepening humanitarian crisis across the enclave.

Due to fuel shortages and severe security constraints, our aid delivery services in Rafah are temporarily paused. Our partners have received multiple evacuation orders in the past few days, and the ongoing bombardment on Rafah is making it impossible for them to distribute aid safely within Rafah.

The obligation of conflicting parties is not only to ensure that aid gets through the borders but also to reach people inside Gaza.