United Nations Radio

The Director of Operations of the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees - UNRWA made it into Gaza Monday.

John Ging told reporters during a video conference that the visit gave him an eye witness view of how things have really deteriorated in Gaza. He says "it's a shocking state of affairs":

"The first thing you will be struck by is the emptiness. The streets are empty. Nothing is happening except intermittently you see a family running with their suitcases obviously looking for safe haven somewhere."

John Ging says UNRWA has had to open additional shelters in its schools to provide a safe haven, a refuge for the Palestinian people who just have nowhere else to go.
He says they're either in a location that has been identified as targeted or they're adjacent to somebody who is under target.

continuous shelling in Gaza

"It's really a horrible existence for the people here at all levels. You'll also be struck by the incessant shelling; it's the drones ongoing, continuously shelling ongoing all the time and then of course the major ground operations that are taking place in the northern area. The people here....I can only describe the people to be terrorized by the situation."

The UNRWA official says the people are traumatized and they are continuously now telling him they feel trapped.
He says if this were another conflict, people will be fleeing but they can't flee in Gaza.
He adds there's no where to flee to and that is really adding to their despair.
This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.
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