The Head Of UNRWA Calls Gaza Currently Experiencing Law And Order Destruction, Impacting Aid Delivery

Antrean truk pengangkut bantuan di Rafah dari sisi Mesir. (Twitter/@ChinaAmbUN)

JAKARTA - The head of the United Nations (UNRWA) Palestinian refugee agency said on Tuesday chaos occurred in the Gaza Strip as smuggling gangs formed and added to difficulties in aid deliveries.

UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said aid deliveries were becoming "very painful", voicing fears such conditions would affect efforts to counter the high risk of hunger confirmed by global hunger monitoring reports on Tuesday.

"Basically, we are currently faced with almost total legal destruction and order," UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini told reporters, blaming part of the gang's increase in attacking aid trucks in the hope of finding smuggled cigarettes hidden between aid supplies. June 26.

"The more complicated (to send aid)," he added.

He further said local police refused to escort the aid convoy for fear of being killed, he added, while humanitarian truck drivers were often threatened or attacked.

Among other challenges, he mentioned the nearly drought in gasoline supply that caused the UNRWA vehicle fleet to stall on Monday.

Israel is known to have checked fuel shipments to Gaza and has long stated there is a risk of the shipment being diverted to Hamas.

"We need continuous, meaningful, and unbroken help in the Gaza Strip if we want to reverse the hunger situation," Lazzarini said, adding the operating environment was not conducive to do so.

Israel claims to have expanded efforts to facilitate the flow of aid to Gaza, blaming aid agencies for distribution issues within the Palestinian enclave.

Founded in 1949 after the first Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA provided services including schools, primary health care, and humanitarian aid in Gaza and the region.

Earlier this year, 16 countries suspended payments to the agency after Israel accused some UNRWA staff of being linked to Palestinian armed groups.

Lazzarini said all, except for the two countries, the United States and Britain, had continued funding after a review of the agency's maintenance showed Israel had not provided evidence of its allegations.

"Currently, his party has sufficient funds to finance operations until the end of August," he added.