UNRWA Values US-backed Gaza Aid Mechanism Failed To Meet Urgent Needs

JAKARTA - The United Nations Aid and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warned Monday that the United States-backed humanitarian aid distribution system, through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) implemented in Israeli coordination, could not meet urgent humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip.

In its official statement, UNRWA called for safe and direct access to send humanitarian aid to Palestinians who have faced worsening hunger conditions since early March.

"During the ceasefire, the United Nations showed that it has the capacity to safely deliver aid and on a large scale, reaching people wherever they are," said UNRWA Affairs Director in Gaza Sam Rose, quoted from WAFA June 2.

Rose further stressed that the current method of delivery of aid is inadequate, especially for vulnerable populations such as sick, injured, and elderly.

"The current distribution method does not meet the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza," he said.

He added that UNRWA is leading the largest ongoing UN food distribution operation in the world, noting that even though supplies are available and ready, access remains a major barrier.

"We don't have time to waste," he warned.

It is known that the United Nations and international aid groups refused to cooperate with the GHF because they said the GHF was not neutral and had a distribution model that forced Palestinians to flee.

The UNRWA warning comes as humanitarian organizations continue to report disaster conditions across the enclave, with widespread hunger, limited medical care, and collapse of basic infrastructure amid continued Israeli military operations.