Achi news desk-
Israel has banned the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from distributing aid in northern Gaza, where the threat of famine is highest, the head of Unrwa said.
“Despite the tragedy unfolding under our watch, the Israeli Authorities informed the UN that they will no longer approve any @Unrwa food convoy to the north,” said Philippe Lazzarini on X.
“This is disgraceful and deliberately obstructing life-saving aid during a man-made famine.”
Israel did not immediately respond Sunday to an AFP request for comment about Lazzarini’s statement. The spokesperson for Unrwa, Juliette Touma, said that the decision was conveyed in a meeting with Israeli military officials on Sunday. It followed two written denials for convoy deliveries to the north last week.
No reason was given for the decision, Touma said.
Gaza is facing dire humanitarian conditions as a result of Israel’s war against Hamas that began almost six months ago, triggered by Hamas’ deadly attack on southern Israel on 7 October.
Last week a UN-backed food security assessment warned that famine was projected to hit northern Gaza by May unless there was urgent intervention. Unrwa has not been able to deliver food to the north since 29 January, Touma said.
“The latest decision is another nail in the coffin” for efforts to get much-needed aid to Gazans reeling from war, Touma said.
Martin Griffiths, head of the UN humanitarian coordination office, said on X on Sunday that Unrwa was “the beating heart of the humanitarian response in Gaza”.
He added: “The decision to block his food convoy to the north only brings thousands closer to starvation. It must be revoked.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organisation, said blocking UNRWA aid deliveries “actually denies starving people the ability to survive”.
Earlier on Sunday, UN secretary-general António Guterres urged an end to the “non-stop nightmare” suffered by Gaza’s 2.4 million people in the territory’s worst-ever war.
Israel has accused UNRWA staff members of taking part in the 7 October attack and has called the agency a “front for Hamas”.
Touma said that Israeli authorities on Sunday also rejected a request from the United Nations to send a team to Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza, where fighting has flared for almost a week, “to evacuate injured people”.
The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures.
Israel’s military campaign to eliminate Hamas has killed at least 32,226 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the territory run by Hamas.
