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2mo ago

UN Warns Gaza Faces Escalating Hunger Crisis as Israeli Blockade Persists

The UNRWA chief emphasizes the urgent need for humanitarian aid access, while Israel seeks alternative agencies to replace UNRWA in Gaza.

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Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, speaks to the press after a meeting with Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, in Oslo, Norway, January 14, 2025. Terje Pedersen/NTB/via REUTERS/File Photo
A truck, marked with United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) logo, crosses into Egypt from Gaza, at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah, Egypt, November 27, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
Daniel Meron, Israel's ambassador to the UN, addressing reporters in Geneva

Overview

  • The UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, warns that Gaza's humanitarian situation is rapidly worsening after 10 days of Israel's total blockade on food, medicine, and fuel.
  • Israel has cut off aid to pressure Hamas in ceasefire negotiations and recently halted electricity, further depriving Gazans of clean water access.
  • UNRWA, barred from Israeli territory since January, remains the main provider of essential services in Gaza, including food, healthcare, and education for Palestinian refugees.
  • Israel is urging other UN agencies and NGOs, such as the World Food Programme, to assume UNRWA's responsibilities, citing alleged ties between UNRWA and Hamas.
  • The financial situation of UNRWA is critical, raising concerns about a potential collapse that could destabilize Gaza and neighboring regions.