'Gaza's destruction is staggering': UN migration chief

Amy Pope, head of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), condemned the devastation inflicted on Gaza after visiting the southern part of the enclave on Thursday.

“The scale of destruction is staggering,” Pope said. “Families who have lost everything are now exposed to the cold, without shelter, infrastructure, or basic services, and with no certainty about their future.”

She described the desperate conditions of displaced families: “I spoke with parents doing whatever they can to keep their children alive, building makeshift shelters from scraps because they have nowhere else to go.”

Pope stressed the urgent need to expand humanitarian efforts, adding that Palestinians must be able to rebuild their lives in Gaza “with dignity and the security they have every right to expect”.