UNRWA spox to Al Mayadeen: Gaza needs 100 truckloads of aid per day

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
21 Oct 2023 23:05

Adnan Abu Hasna tells Al Mayadeen that around half of the 1,000,000+ forcibly displaced Gazans are living in UNRWA's centers under worsening conditions.

A United Nations volunteer stands in the yard of a UN-run school in the refugee camp of al-Maghazi in Gaza City, the Gaza Strip, Palestine, on October 18, 2023. (AFP)

Gaza needs a hundred truckloads per day to meet the needs of forcibly displaced people, Adnan Abu Hasna, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) spokesperson, told Al Mayadeen.

The official emphasized that the Rafah crossing, which lies on Gaza's border with Egypt, must be opened for humanitarian aid to the besieged Strip.

On Saturday, the Rafah crossing was opened for 20 trucks carrying international aid to Gazans. The crossing had been subject to multiple air raids by the Israeli occupation forces since October 7, as "Israel" tightened its blockade on the Strip.

However, none of the trucks contained fuel for the Strip. Energy supplies in Gaza are extremely low, which threatens to put vital machines in hospitals out of service, putting at risk even more civilian lives.

One of the lies that will fill your timeline today is that "Israel" allowed aid to enter the #Gaza Strip. How humanitarian, yes? Well, in fact, NO!

“The entry of a limited number of trucks [20] constitutes only 3% of what was entering the Gaza Strip daily in terms of health and… pic.twitter.com/pmkpSNYSfI
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 21, 2023

Of course, the scarcity of energy supplies comes after "Israel's" war cabinet shut off all fuel and water from the Strip, adding to its long list of war crimes committed against Palestinians since October 7.

On this note, Abu Hasna emphasized that the Gaza Strip must be supplied with fuel since it is essential for operating "basic services", adding that a constant flow of medicine and water must be sent to Gaza.

The spokesperson told Al Mayadeen that UNRWA's food supplies have almost run out, underlining that a deepening catastrophe will continue due to the closure of crossing in and out of Gaza.

Moreover, the official explained that UNRWA's centers in Gaza have witnessed an increase in contagious diseases due to water shortages.

Clarifying the scale of the calamity, Abu Hasna revealed that around half of Gaza's 1,000,000+ displaced people have taken refuge in UNRWA centers, which have reached maximum capacity and cannot receive more individuals.

Israeli genocidal policies are serious war crimes that have not been met by an appropriate international response. However, Western leaders such as US President Joe Biden have encouraged "Israel" to continue its collective punishment of the Palestinian people by claiming that "Israel has the right to defend itself," when faced with questions about "Israel's" targeting of civilians and its disproportionate response.

In fact, Biden had previously said he had reached an agreement with Israeli and Egyptian sides to allow 20 truckloads into Gaza, which came just after he had promised to unconditionally aid "Israel's" aggression against Gaza and denied that it had bombed al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.