Diplomats go virtual to witness Gaza displacement site up close
9 July 2026
Humanitarian AidRepresentatives from 12 countries carried out a “virtual diplomatic field visit” to a displacement site in the Gaza Strip and heard from some of the residents about their pressing needs, the United Nations said on Thursday.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Ramiz Alakbarov, and his deputy, Suzanna Tkalec, led the online visit to the site in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis. “Just like journalists, diplomatic missions have had difficulty getting into Gaza since October 2023,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during his regular briefing from New York. Water and work Via videolink, the diplomats observed the living conditions and relief efforts at the displacement site, interacting with children, adults and aid workers. At a distribution point, they saw how community members – including children – collected water carried by truck through a project operated by a local partner and funded by the UN’s OPT Humanitarian Fund. “Displaced people told the diplomats that they need sustainable water services, especially during the hot summer days, and cash-for-work opportunities to feed their families,” Mr. Dujarric said. “Participants in the virtual visit were also led through hundreds of tents crammed along the shoreline,” he added.
