UN: Gaza's humanitarian situation 'likely to be the worst it has been'
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UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini says the situation before the ceasefire was already "hellish" but now the situation has "reached the bottom."
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The Commissioner-General of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the UNRWA headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
The director of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has called the Gaza Strip's situation "hellish," noting that "there is absolutely no safe place and people are constantly on the move, constantly on the evacuation order, displacement order."
During the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Philippe Lazzarini answered Anadolu's questions concerning the situation in Gaza.
He emphasized the difficulties encountered by Palestinians who, in addition to daily bombs, are "struggling with spreading and deepening hunger, are struggling with diseases, an extraordinary, also filthy, living condition."
Lazzarini expressed that the situation before the ceasefire was already "hellish," but it now has "reached the bottom," adding that since the ceasefire broke down, the situation "has gone even worse."
'No humanitarian aid to be distributed'
Lazzarini stated that UNRWA employs over 12,000 Palestinians in Gaza, but pointed out that "when it comes to distribution of humanitarian aid, there is no humanitarian aid to be distributed anymore, and the crossing has been sealed now a month ago, so the assistance within the Gaza Strip has almost completely depleted now."
He added that once "Israel" launched assaults, the UN decided to limit its presence on March 24 due to "security" concerns, underlining how a tragic incident took place "where the United Nations is operating from, with many international staff being injured and one having been killed," according to the director.
He continued, "All this has justified this decision, and when it comes to the crossing, we are constantly calling for the lifting of the blockade and the siege."
"We are constantly calling for unhindered, uninterrupted, unskilled flow of humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip, and we are also constantly calling for the release of the hostages," the UNRWA chief affirmed.
Regarding "Israel's" targeting of 15 Palestinian health and civil defense workers in Gaza, Lazzarini stated that it once again demonstrated "the total disregard for humanitarian workers, total disregard for international humanitarian law."
Lazzarini stated that since October 7, 2023, more than 400 humanitarian workers, including over 280 from UNRWA, had been murdered in Israeli strikes.
"This latest incident (killing of 15 aid workers) has certainly reached a new level because these people were clearly identified. No one could ignore the presence of this incident, and they seem to have been killed one by one," he expressed.
"No one can ignore the existence of this incident, and it seems like they were systematically killed," he added.
Lazzarini emphasized the importance of initiating an international impartial inquiry to gather information about the killings and ensure accountability, noting that those guilty had yet to face justice.
Lazzarini also hailed Palestinian journalists for risking their lives every day to report, noting that their efforts should be bolstered by the presence of impartial foreign journalists.
He stressed the importance of foreign journalists working in the region to combat misinformation, deception, and propaganda regarding events in Gaza.
Gaza faces 'worst' humanitarian crisis since attacks began: UN
In a related context, the UN said on Monday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now "likely to be the worst it has been" since the start of the Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave 18 months earlier.
"Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the humanitarian situation is now likely to be the worst it has been in the 18 months since the outbreak of hostilities," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated during a press briefing.
"It has now been a month and a half since any supplies were allowed through the crossings into Gaza, by far the longest such halt to date," he pointed out.
Dujarric referred to the dire situation in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that there has been a "surge in attacks causing mass civilian casualties and the destruction of some remaining infrastructure that is needed to keep people alive."
He also condemned Israeli officials for issuing four fresh displacement orders over the weekend, adding that the evacuation orders are "further reducing the limited space available for families."
"Civilians are effectively trapped in increasingly fragmented and unsafe enclaves in Gaza, where access to essential services for survival is dwindling day by day," he told reporters, noting that over 70% of the strip is under relocation orders or designated "no-go zones" necessitating collaboration with "Israel" for humanitarian access.
"Displacement orders are, of course, undermining access to half of all water wells across the Gaza Strip," he said, adding that "dwindling supplies" have prompted humanitarian workers to restrict and reduce delivery.
When asked if the Israeli occupation is committing a war crime by preventing help from entering Gaza, Dujarric responded, "Israel has responsibilities under international law, as the occupying power, to adequately provide basic services and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. That is not happening."
"We will let judicial bodies decide whether things are so; at least this violates international law," Dujarric added.
