From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)
#Gaza is an active war zone with a complex operating environment for aid agencies including @UNRWA.
Aid at scale is not reaching people in need, eight months on a brutal war.
What are the restrictions and why is it a challenge
- Israeli Forces’ military operations & armed Palestinian groups activities.
- A limited number of open crossing points into Gaza
- Insecurity for humanitarian workers & installations despite deconfliction and coordination with parties to the conflict
- A near total breakdown in law and order leading to regular looting + threats & assaults of truck drivers. This is made worse by cigarettes smuggling making any humanitarian convoy a target for attacks.
- Regular denials and delays by Israeli Forces for coordinated movement and convoys
- Large gatherings of desperate people who self-distribute humanitarian supplies
- Logistics, security & communication equipment banned entry into Gaza, limiting the ability of the aid community to move and communicate safely.
What is urgently needed
-> Uninterrupted, regular, coordinated & meaningful flow of humanitarian assistance
-> Safety & security including for aid workers and their assets & local police escort for convoys
-> Safe routes & consistent standard operating hours of crossing points
-> A ceasefire committed to by all parties to the conflict
Failing that will increase chaos & despair of 2 million people to new levels + prevent the humanitarian community to operate.
Background Information:
UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.
UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.
UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.