An entire population is being dehumanized: UNRWA chief

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
31 Oct 2023 08:42

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini says the limited number of convoys permitted through Rafah is insufficient compared to the requirements of more than two million people stranded in Gaza.

A Palestinian stands outside the building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip in Rafah, Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 (AP)

UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian Refugees, cautioned on Monday that the restricted number of aid vehicles entering Gaza is inadequate to address the "unprecedented humanitarian requirements" in the region.

"The handful of convoys being allowed through Rafah is nothing compared to the needs of over two million people trapped in Gaza," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told the UN Security Council, referring to the sole border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

As per UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, a total of 33 trucks transporting water, food, and medical provisions arrived in Gaza via the Rafah crossing on Sunday.

Prior to the ongoing Israeli aggression, "Israel" enforced a blockade on Gaza, which includes land, air, and sea restrictions, resulting in severe repercussions for Palestinian civilians. The occupation controlled everything that entered Gaza, including fuel and medicine, and Gaza used to receive approximately 500 trucks daily.

"The system in place to allow aid into Gaza is geared to fail unless there is political will to make the flow of supplies meaningful, matching the unprecedented humanitarian needs," Lazzarini said, urging the Security Council to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Lazzarini said 64 of his UNRWA colleagues had been killed in just over three weeks, "the highest number of UN aid workers killed in a conflict in such a short time."

He mentioned that a United Nations employee named Samir, along with Samir's spouse and eight children, had lost their lives shortly before his statement.

"My UNRWA colleagues are the only glimmer of hope for the entire Gaza Strip... but they are running out of fuel, water, food, and medicine and will soon be unable to operate," said the Swiss-Italian official.

"An entire population is being dehumanized," he warned.

Catherine Russell, the head of UNICEF, informed the council that her organization believes "the true cost of this latest escalation will be measured in children's lives -- those lost to the violence and those forever changed by it."

Last week, the UN General Assembly passed a nonbinding resolution urging an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, but the Security Council has been unsuccessful in reaching a consensus on any text concerning the aggression.

Given that several previous UNSC resolutions were vetoed, the Council's 10 elected members are now crafting a fresh draft in the hopes of achieving a unanimous agreement.

"We have the means to get something done and yet we repeatedly and shamefully fail," said Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, whose country currently holds the Security Council's rotating chair.

"The eyes of the world are staring at us and will not move away from our distressing inability to act," he added.

Just a humanitarian band-aid!

For the past 25 days, "Israel" has imposed a total blockade on Gaza amid non-stop brutal bombardments of residential buildings, UN schools, bakeries, ambulances, and even hospitals.

In short, there is no safe place in Gaza where a considerable number of people are enduring extreme hardship, with limited access to food, often reduced to just one daily meal, and facing severe water shortages. Additionally, hospitals are faced with a shortage of medical supplies and fuel to power their generators while tending to the overwhelming number of casualties resulting from the brutal airstrikes.

Children in #Gaza cannot breathe either. #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/ryERcUQo1S
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 30, 2023

The situation within Gaza is extremely grave. There is a severe shortage not just of food but also of essential resources such as water, electricity, and fuel. This dire combination not only constitutes a catastrophe but also has the potential to result in further instances of starvation and disease.

In the best-case scenario, this inadequate relief acts as a band-aid, but all too often, it is deployed inadequately and belatedly amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The act of besieging an already vulnerable territory exacerbates the damage, making any aid in the form of biscuits, water, and shrouds insufficient for adequate recovery. A humanitarian catastrophe is imminent, potentially resulting in the loss of thousands of lives.