UNRWA Official: Israel Blocks Aid, Causing Starvation in Gaza

Gaza's Deepening Starvation Crisis

• ⚠️ Palestinian health officials report at least 111 deaths and over 800 injuries in Gaza within 24 hours, with 91 of the deceased killed while seeking aid.
• 💔 A young Palestinian man from Rafah has died from starvation, marking the 155th hunger-related death since Israel's assault and siege began.
• 🚨 The world's leading hunger monitoring system warns that a "worst-case scenario" of famine is unfolding in Gaza, with widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease.

UNRWA's Role and Obstacles

• 🚚 UNRWA states that 6,000 trucks filled with food, medicine, and necessities are waiting in Jordan and Egypt for a "green light" to enter Gaza, a delay of nearly five months.
• 🚫 Israel has accused UNRWA of failing to distribute aid, but UNRWA asserts that Israel is blocking most supplies from entering the territory.
• 🌍 UNRWA's director of communications, Juliette Touma, speaking from Amman, Jordan, refutes claims that the UN is withholding aid, emphasizing the agency's readiness to distribute.

Impact on Services and Accusations

• 🏫 Before the war, UNRWA provided schooling for over 300,000 children and primary healthcare through 20 clinics.
• 🍎 The agency also provided food assistance to about a million people in Gaza even before the current conflict.
• 🤥 A recent New York Times article, citing senior Israeli military officials, revealed that the Israeli military found no proof of Hamas stealing UN aid, contradicting claims used to restrict supplies.
• 📉 These baseless accusations have been used to undermine the work of UNRWA and other UN entities.

Calls for Action

• 🕊️ UNRWA is calling for the siege on Gaza to be lifted and for an unimpeded, large-scale flow of humanitarian assistance managed by the UN.
• 🤝 The agency also calls for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages held in Gaza.
• 🚶‍♂️ Colleagues in Gaza describe the people as "neither dead nor alive. They're walking corpses."