The Senior Director of Communications at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Jonathan Fowler, stated that about 60,000 Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip are living in catastrophic conditions under the Israeli siege that has been ongoing for 62 days, surrounded by death on all sides.
Fowler pointed out that delivering humanitarian aid to the region is very difficult, as only 75 trucks of aid entered through the border crossings on November 27, despite the need to enter about 500 trucks daily to meet the needs of the population.
The agency spokesman explained that the situation in northern Gaza has become tragic due to the lack of food, medicine and potable water, noting that the residents of the Strip depend entirely on humanitarian aid to survive.
He added that entering the besieged area is still prohibited by Israel, making residents suffer as the days pass without receiving aid.
Fowler also warned of the worsening risk of malnutrition, noting that the region has not received any food supplies for more than 60 days, which could lead to the death of many residents from starvation unless relief is provided to them urgently.
During his interview with Anadolu Agency, the UN official said that people in this besieged area “will die of hunger. What can they do if they cannot obtain relief materials? There is basically nothing to eat.”
On October 5, the Israeli army launched a massive military attack on the northern Gaza Strip, which exacerbated the humanitarian situation in the region.
Palestinian sources say that there are indications that Israel is seeking to occupy the north and turn it into a buffer zone after displacing its residents, as part of a policy that includes intense bombing and a tight siege that prevents the entry of basic materials such as food, water and medicines.
Blocking humanitarian aid
On the other hand, Fowler pointed out that UNRWA was forced to stop delivering aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing in early December due to problems related to the security of operations, stressing the need to ensure the safety of relief workers.
He stressed that Israel bears the responsibility to protect aid after it enters the Gaza Strip, warning that theft and extortion may exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death and injury of more than 149,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women, and the destruction of the basic infrastructure of hospitals, water and sanitation networks, which has greatly exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. .
