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The Gaza Strip: UNRWA calls for unimpeded and safe access to deliver much needed humanitarian aid

UNRWA

29 Dec 2023

FROM PHILIPPE LAZZARINI, UNRWA COMMISSIONER GENERAL

AMMAN, 29 December 2023 -- "Over the past days, several statements from Israeli officials have insinuated or directly held UNRWA responsible for gaps in aid deliveries in the Gaza Strip. These statements were amplified by Israeli and other mainstream and social media, creating a stream of baseless misinformation.

"Last week, intense diplomatic efforts led to UNSC resolution 2720, demanding immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip. However, the delivery of much needed and urgent aid continues to be limited in quantities and riddled with logistical hurdles.

"For the first two weeks of the war, the Israeli Authorities imposed a hermetic siege on the Gaza Strip, banning the entry of all supplies including food, water, medicine and fuel.

"The first delivery of humanitarian aid was allowed on 21 October following a complicated and lengthy verification process including re-routing trucks via Israel. Since then, despite some increase in the trucks mostly from Egypt and through the Rafah crossing, it has remained derisory in the face of immense humanitarian needs. These deliveries did not include fuel until 18 November, thus strictly limiting the ability of UNRWA and other humanitarian organisations to operate.

"UNRWA called for the opening of other crossings to allow a substantive flow of basic and urgently needed humanitarian supplies. With the opening of the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) for entry of trucks into Gaza, the humanitarian community anticipated a much-awaited change in the scale and scope of the convoys, which did not happen.

"With severe restrictions on humanitarian access from the Israeli Authorities, the humanitarian operation faces several challenges:

• Constant bombardment, airstrikes and fighting.

• Restricted access inside the Strip, especially to the north including crossing Israeli Army checkpoints on the frontlines.

• A state of despair among the communities showing up at UNRWA warehouses to take supplies or interrupt aid trucks picking food to eat on the spot.

• A breakdown of law and order, making it difficult for UNRWA to secure the convoys.

• Long delays at the crossing points of Rafah and Karem Abu Salem.

• Significant security incidents including near Karem Abu Salem, deeming the area insecure.

• Unannounced, uncoordinated prisoner and casualty transfers from Israel have brought the operation on Karem Abu Salem to a halt (for hours).

• Regular cuts in telecommunications including internet and mobile telephone. Since the war began, we have recorded seven cuts, with some up to 72 hours also impacting aid deliveries.

"The recent assessments on hunger in Gaza should not therefore come as a surprise, given very low supplies and the near total collapse of the private sector, including commerce and shops. The entire population of Gaza of 2.2 million people is now almost exclusively dependent on humanitarian assistance including food.

"I call on the Israeli Authorities, other parties to the conflict and those with influence over them to safeguard an environment for safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and therefore to:

• Ensure that humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip match the overwhelming needs including fuel, food, medicine, water and hygiene material also for those with specific needs like women, adolescent girls and people with disabilities.

• Adhere to the de-confliction processes and refrain from attacks and fighting on or around crossing points or aid workers and convoys across the Gaza Strip.

• Open safe and regular routes to access northern Gaza to deliver assistance to people in need and civilian facilities including hospitals like Shifa and others.

• Remove the ban on the deliveries of commercial supplies to the private sector so that the markets can re-open.

• Facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance with less bureaucratic hurdles, delays and put an end to baseless accusations.

"This is not the time to exchange accusations and promote misinformation. International humanitarian law is very clear: The State of Israel as the occupying power must ensure that the population has access to and is provided with basic services. Likewise, all parties to the conflict must facilitate humanitarian access to all those in need. Food, water, fuel and all humanitarian assistance must never be used as a weapon of war. Aid must never be diverted or politicized.

"UNRWA calls once again on the media to verify their reports and cross-check information including statements from Government officials, before publishing information".

ENDS