UNRWA criticizes meager aid to Gaza, UN warns of famine

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has strongly criticized the meager aid reaching the Gaza Strip, stressing that the population needs massive and sustained support to prevent famine. The European Union, for its part, reiterated its emphasis on the immediate entry of humanitarian and medical aid into the Strip.

Only five of 11 trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday through the Kerem Shalom crossing, despite Israel's announcement that it had approved the entry of 100 trucks. A European Union official described this as "a drop in the ocean."

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said, "Israel is exploiting hunger and food for political and military purposes, and Gaza needs massive, unhindered support to ensure the worsening hunger afflicting its population is addressed."

UNRWA warned of the worst humanitarian crisis the Gaza Strip could face since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023.

The agency added in a post on its Facebook page, "The intensive Israeli bombardment from the air, land, and sea resulted in hundreds of casualties and mass displacement."

She stressed the need for massive, unhindered support to ensure that hunger in Gaza is halted. She called for depoliticizing humanitarian aid because the situation in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating daily and malnutrition is spreading throughout the territory.

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The agency called for pressure on Israel to allow aid into Gaza.

withholding aid

In turn, a Gaza government official reported that only five aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday.

The government official, who preferred to remain anonymous, told an Anadolu Agency correspondent that none of the aid that entered had been distributed and remained in areas where Israeli forces were present.

He explained that, according to information available from international relief organizations, these trucks contained a very small amount of wheat flour, nutritional supplements, milk substitutes for children, and quantities of shrouds.

He pointed out that these quantities "do not meet the needs of even 1% of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for one day, even if they were fully loaded with food."

The Gaza government official considered that Israel was using aid as a "pressure card" and continuing to starve Palestinians in the Strip.

The United Nations confirms that Gaza needs at least 500 trucks of aid and commercial goods daily.

The World Food Programme stated that more than 116,000 tons of food—enough to feed one million people for up to four months—is ready for delivery.

European anger

In a related development, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Israel on Tuesday to increase the amount of humanitarian aid it will allow into Gaza, describing the quantities of food recently allowed into the Strip as "totally inadequate."

During a session of the British House of Commons, Starmer said, "We cannot allow the people of Gaza to face starvation."

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaya Kallas also reiterated the need to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Kallas noted that thousands of trucks are waiting at Gaza crossings to enter the territory, which is subjected to a stifling Israeli blockade.

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On Monday, the leaders of Britain, France, and Canada threatened to take action against Israel if it did not halt its military campaign in Gaza and lift restrictions on aid.

A joint statement by the three countries, published by the British government, stated that "the Israeli government's prevention of the entry of essential humanitarian aid to the civilian population is unacceptable and violates international humanitarian law."

Risk of closure

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said that hospitals in northern Gaza are at risk of complete closure.

The organization added on its X account that intense hostilities and a military presence have continued near the Indonesian hospital since May 18.

She noted that most patients left on their own after the fighting intensified on May 15, noting that reports have emerged of only 15 people remaining, including patients and hospital staff, who are in dire need of food and water.

The World Health Organization warned of a rapidly deteriorating situation at Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, which is overcrowded with wounded and suffering from a severe shortage of supplies.

The organization called for effective protection of health care, stressing that hospitals should never be militarized or targeted.

Since March 2, Israel has continued its policy of systematically starving approximately 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza by closing the crossings to aid supplies piling up at the border, plunging the Strip into famine and claiming many lives.

With full American support, Israel has been committing genocidal crimes in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 174,000 Palestinians dead or wounded—mostly children and women—and more than 11,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands displaced.