The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has said that aid reaching Gaza is far less than what is needed. Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, described the current aid deliveries as a “mockery” given the scale of the crisis in the region.
Only about 900 trucks of aid have entered Gaza in the past two weeks. This is just over 10 percent of the daily amount needed for Gaza’s 2.4 million residents. The aid shortage comes as heavy bombardments continue and essential supplies like food, medicine, and fuel are blocked from entering the area.
The UN agency stressed that during a previous ceasefire, it was able to send between 600 and 800 aid trucks per day. This helped prevent famine at that time. The current crisis, with risks of mass starvation, could be stopped if political will allowed humanitarian groups to work freely.
Since March 2, Israel has kept all border crossings to Gaza closed. This has cut off supplies needed for survival. The offensive that began in October 2023 has killed nearly 54,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to aid organizations.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. They are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over alleged war crimes in the region.
