“This is outrageous and makes it intentional to obstruct life-saving assistance during a man-made famine. These restrictions must be lifted,” UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
“By preventing UNRWA to fulfil its mandate in Gaza, the clock will tick faster towards famine & many more will die of hunger, dehydration + lack of shelter,” Lazzarini wrote on X.
Lazzarini said he regretted Washington’s decision to continue a ban on US funding for the agency until at least March 2025.
“We very much regret Washington’s decision,” Lazzarini was quoted as saying by Swiss newspaper Blick on Sunday. “It’s a halt for a limited period. Next year, we again have the possibility to apply pressure for a new decision.”
What is UNRWA, the main aid provider in Gaza that Israel accuses of militant links?
What is UNRWA, the main aid provider in Gaza that Israel accuses of militant links?
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday said the backlog of aid destined for Gaza is a moral outrage.
The only effective and efficient way to deliver heavy goods to meet Gaza’s humanitarian needs is by road and includes an exponential increase in commercial deliveries, Guterres said.
Speaking after meeting Egypt’s president and foreign minister in Cairo, Guterres also warned of the impact the war in Gaza was having around the globe.
“The daily assault on the human dignity of Palestinians is creating a crisis of credibility for the international community,” he said.
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Israeli forces open fire on crowd of Palestinians seeking aid,, as Gaza death toll surpasses 30,000
Israeli forces open fire on crowd of Palestinians seeking aid,, as Gaza death toll surpasses 30,000
While more than five months of war between Israel and Hamas have shattered Gaza, donations of aid have piled up in Egypt’s northern Sinai, with limited amounts sent in through Egypt’s Rafah Crossing and the Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom.
As hopes for a truce in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have faded and the risk of famine in the coastal enclave has increased, the United States and other countries have sought to use air drops and ships to deliver aid.
Sending in large quantities of aid requires Israel to remove the remaining obstacles and choke points to relief, Guterres said.
“It requires more crossings and access points,” he said. “The only efficient and effective way to move heavy goods is by road. It requires an exponential increase in commercial goods.”
Guterres said the United Nations was working hard to sustain funding for UNRWA, which he called the backbone for humanitarian aid inside Gaza.