\n
\u201cGaza is the hungriest place on Earth,\u201d OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva, stressing that it is the only defined territory in the world where the entire population is at risk of famine.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe aid operation that we have ready to roll is being put in an operational straitjacket<\/strong> that makes it one of the most obstructed aid operations, not only in the world today, but in recent history,\u201d he said.<\/p>\nMr. Laerke explained that out of nearly 900 aid trucks that were approved to enter from the Israeli side since the reopening of the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the war-torn enclave ten days ago, less than 600 have been offloaded on the Gaza side<\/strong>.<\/p>\nAn even lower number has been picked up for distribution in Gaza, he said, pointing to the \u201ccongested, insecure\u201d routes which humanitarians are assigned to use by the Israeli authorities, as well as \u201csignificant delays\u201d in the approvals.<\/p>\n
Drip-feed of desperation<\/h2>\n
The OCHA spokesperson stressed that the limited number of truckloads coming in is a \u201ctrickle\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is drip-feeding food into an area on the verge of catastrophic hunger<\/strong>,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\nMr. Laerke added that many of the trucks were \u201cswarmed by desperate people\u201d on the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a survival reaction by desperate people who want to feed their families,\u201d he said, adding that the aid on the trucks \u201chad been paid for by the donors to go to those people\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t blame them one second for taking the aid that essentially is already theirs, but it’s not distributed in a way we wanted,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, hungry crowds overran a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, where limited stocks of wheat flour had been pre-positioned for use by the few bakeries able to resume operations.<\/p>\n
The incident reportedly left two people dead. In a statement WFP reiterated warnings over \u201cthe risks imposed by limiting humanitarian aid to hungry people in desperate need of assistance\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u2018Paid for\u2019 aid must be delivered<\/h2>\n
OCHA\u2019s Mr. Laerke insisted once again on the fact that the UN and partners have \u201ctens of thousands of pallets of food and other life-saving assistance\u201d ready to enter Gaza to relieve the suffering.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe aid has been paid for by the world’s donors, who expect us on their behalf to deliver it.<\/strong> It is cleared for customs, it is approved and it’s ready to move,\u201d he said.<\/p>\nA new US and Israeli-backed aid distribution scheme run by a private entity called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operating independently of the UN this week in the Strip.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday at least 47 Palestinians were reportedly shot and injured trying to collect aid from its distribution facility in the south, according to information received by UN human rights office, OHCHR.<\/p>\n
Aid scheme to bypass UN \u2018not working\u2019<\/h2>\n
In reaction to the incident OCHA head in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Jonathan Whittall warned on Wednesday that the US-Israeli distribution scheme was “engineered scarcity: four distribution hubs located in central and southern Gaza, secured by private US security contractors, where those Palestinians who can reach them will receive rations.”<\/p>\n
Mr. Laerke told reporters that this \u201calternative modality\u201d is \u201cnot working\u201d as it does not meet people\u2019s needs<\/strong>.<\/p>\nHe added that it constitutes a \u201cviolation of basic principle of impartiality\u201d, and that criteria for getting aid have to be based on need, and not the ability to walk for kilometres to a distribution point.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt creates chaos, and it creates a situation that is extremely dangerous for people<\/strong>,\u201d Mr. Laerke said. \u201cEven if you enter one of those distribution points, pick up a package, the minute you’re out of it\u2026 Are you a target for looters again? Yes, you are.\u201d<\/p>\nThe OCHA spokesperson reiterated calls by the humanitarian community for the reopening of all crossing points into Gaza, to enable delivery from all corridors, including from Jordan and Egypt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to be able to deliver food directly to families where they are,\u201d as has been the case in the past, he said.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the challenges for humanitarian access, Mr. Laerke said that over 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip is currently within Israeli militarized zones or under displacement orders. Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed on 18 March nearly 635,000 people in the enclave have been displaced yet again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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