The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced that the amount of food and humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip has decreased by two-thirds since Israel began its military operation in the Rafah area in the south of the Strip this month.
More than 30 countries at a World Health Organization meeting denounced Israel’s attacks on hospitals in Gaza, while European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stressed the rejection of any attempt to classify the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as a “terrorist organization.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said: “The amount of food and other aid entering Gaza, which was already insufficient to meet growing needs, has decreased further since May 7.”
The office stated that from May 7 until Tuesday, the average number of trucks arriving in Gaza reached 58 trucks per day, compared to a daily average of 176 aid trucks during the period from April 1 to May 6, which represents a decrease. By 67%, explaining that this number does not include private sector goods and fuel.
The United Nations has long said that at least 500 trucks a day of aid and commercial goods need to enter the Strip.
With Israel launching its devastating aggression about 8 months ago, aid provided to the Gaza Strip’s population of 2.2 million Palestinians entered mainly through two crossings into southern Gaza: the Rafah crossing from Egypt and the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs explained that aid trucks had diminished “due to the closure of the Rafah crossing, and the inability to transport goods safely and continuously from the Kerem Shalom crossing, as well as limited deliveries through other entry points.”
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also indicated that no aid entered Gaza from the pier on Monday and Tuesday.
Healthy denunciation
Meanwhile, at a meeting of the World Health Organization yesterday, Wednesday, more than 30 countries denounced Israel’s attacks on hospitals in Gaza, and demanded an investigation into its role in the health crisis in the Strip. Some countries also held Israel responsible for the exacerbation of the threat of famine.
The World Health Organization has monitored hundreds of attacks on health facilities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza, since the start of the aggression against the Gaza Strip on October 7th.
This month, Israel launched a new military operation on the city of Rafah, halting the transfer of patients, cutting off medical supplies, and threatening the last functioning hospital inside the city.
At the annual meeting of the World Health Organization in Geneva, a group of countries supports a proposal authorizing the United Nations organization to support documenting the “catastrophic humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and writing reports on “hunger,” amid United Nations warnings of widespread famine and disease after about 8 months of devastating war on Gaza.
The proposal has the support of more than 30 countries, most of them from Africa and the Gulf region, in addition to Russia, Turkey and China, and more countries have expressed support for the proposal in their comments. It was expected to be voted on later on Wednesday, but the escalation of controversy postponed it until Thursday.
Rejected Israeli classification
On the other hand, European Union foreign policy official Josep Borrell stressed the rejection of any attempt to classify the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as a terrorist organization.
This came during his meeting with UNRWA Commissioner Philippe Lazzarini yesterday, Wednesday, and in response to Israel’s decision to classify the UN agency as a terrorist organization, according to a post by Borrell on X.
Borrell said, “I met Lazzarini. He no longer has words to describe the situation in Gaza. Day after day the processions of death continue. Not only are people losing their lives, but hope and the fabric of society are being destroyed.”
Borrell stressed the need to put an end to this tragedy, “which offends our conscience and humanity.”
He continued that he reaffirmed the European Union’s support for UNRWA, praising its work and team, and pointed to the resumption of financial support for the agency, indicating that the next batch of European Union support is now on its way. He said decisively, “We reject any attempt to classify UNRWA as a terrorist organization, as it remains an indispensable life-saving body for the Palestinians.”
Earlier Wednesday, the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) approved a preliminary reading of a draft law abolishing the immunity and privileges of UNRWA for the year 2024. Three additional readings are still required in favor of the draft law for it to become effective, as part of what Palestinian, UN and international bodies say is an Israeli campaign to dismantle UNRWA and liquidate it. Refugee issue.
