UN Says Rafah Opening Without Aid Entry Does Not Change Gaza Situation

JAKARTA - The United Nations said ending the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, requires the opening of all crossings without restrictions for the delivery of aid, warning that the opening of the Rafah crossing for individuals only, without humanitarian aid, does not change the deteriorating situation on the ground.

UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler said humanitarian aid supplies intended for Gaza were still being held in Egypt and Jordan, noting that Israel had blocked the entry of these supplies into the region since March 2025.

Fowler stressed that allowing people to pass through, while preventing the delivery of aid, would not alleviate the dire humanitarian conditions, adding that the continued obstruction of aid supplies is one of the main reasons for the continued suffering in Gaza, launching WAFA (6/2).

He explained that the humanitarian situation had experienced a very limited and marginal improvement during the summer of 2025 compared to the peak of the crisis, but said that a small increase in aid and commercial goods was far from enough to replace the massive damage caused by what he described as a man-made humanitarian disaster.

Fowler further revealed that children continue to suffer from hunger, medical supplies remain insufficient to meet the enormous needs, and disease outbreaks continue amid the collapse of water and sanitation systems and acute shortages of materials for housing.

He noted that at least 600 aid trucks per day were needed to support the population, warning that numbers below that effectively meant the continuation of the crisis, especially given the restrictions on the types of aid allowed in and the limited operating hours at the border.

Fowler also said the continued ban on UNRWA work after the ceasefire reflected a political choice that targeted the largest humanitarian organization operating in Gaza, regardless of the readiness, long experience, and extensive operational capacity of the agency.

He warned that the restrictions imposed on civil society organizations are aimed at limiting humanitarian work to selected actors who are willing to ignore violations, stressing that compliance with humanitarian principles, especially respect for international humanitarian law, must remain non-negotiable.