UNRWA Commissioner-General on Gaza: another day of aid distribution another day of death traps

Day after day, casualties and scores of injured are reported at distribution points manned by Israel and private security companies.

This humiliating system continues to force thousands of hungry and desperate people to walk for tens of miles excluding the most vulnerable and those living too far.

This system does not intend to address hunger.

Aid deliveries and distribution must be at scale and safe.

In Gaza, this can be done only through the United Nations including UNRWA.

We have the expertise, the knowledge and community trust.

The State of Israel must lift the siege and allow the UN safe and unhindered access to bring in aid and distribute it safely.

This is the only way to avert mass starvation including among 1 million children.

Today, there are 12000 UNRWA staff who continue providing health, sanitation and psychosocial services under the most brutal and adverse environment.

Our warehouses outside Gaza are full with a volume of assistance equivalent to 6,000 trucks.

Letting food rot and medicine deliberately expire would simply be obscene.