Israel has implemented a definitive halt to the delivery of food aid by the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees, UNRWA, to the northern region of Gaza, as announced by the agency on Sunday, March 24th.
This move comes amid escalating fears of famine in the area. UNRWA’s head, Philippe Lazzarini, condemned the decision as a deliberate impediment to vital humanitarian aid in the face of a looming famine.
“The Israeli Authorities informed the UN that they will no longer approve any UNRWA food convoys to the north,” Lazzarini stated.
He added, “This is outrageous & makes it intentional to obstruct lifesaving assistance during a man-made famine.”
Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for UNRWA, revealed that the Israeli military officially communicated this decision, which followed two previous denials for convoy deliveries.
This cessation of aid occurs as Gaza grapples with severe humanitarian challenges six months into the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Last week, a UN-backed assessment cautioned that famine could engulf northern Gaza without urgent intervention by May.
Touma described the cessation of food aid as a critical blow to the well-being of Gazans affected by the conflict.
The head of the UN’s humanitarian coordination office, Martin Griffiths, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that UNRWA was the central pillar of the humanitarian response in Gaza and describing the aid blockade as a catalyst pushing thousands toward famine.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, also criticized the blockade as denying survival to those in dire need.
Amidst these developments, the UN’s secretary-general, António Guterres, has called for an end to the conflict, labeling it Gaza’s “worst-ever war.”
The conflict has led to Israel accusing UNRWA of being “a front for Hamas.”
Israel also refused a UN request on Sunday to send a team to the embattled Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza to help evacuate the injured.
Since the war’s inception, Israel’s military campaign aimed at eliminating Hamas has resulted in the deaths of over 32,000 people, predominantly women and children, as reported by the Palestinian health ministry.
