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The United Nations has declared Gaza “the hungriest place on Earth,” warning that the entire population of the Palestinian territory is now at risk of famine.
Efforts to negotiate an end to nearly 20 months of Israeli bombardment have so far failed to yield results, with Israel resuming military invasions and airstrikes in Gaza in March after breaking a ceasefire agreement.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stressed: “It’s the only defined area — whether a country or part of a country — where 100 percent of the population faces famine.” He dismissed denials from Israeli officials.
In recent days, Israel has partially lifted a total blockade on aid to Gaza, which it had imposed since March 2, a blockade that caused severe shortages of food and medicine.
Israel’s ambassador in Geneva, Daniel Meron, rejected the UN’s assertions, accusing UN agencies of selectively presenting facts to create a distorted view and vilify Israel. He stated on social media platform X: “UN feeds Hamas, we ensure aid reaches those in need.”
At a press conference in Geneva, Laerke described the huge challenges faced by the UN in delivering aid into Gaza.
While Israel has authorised 900 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies to enter the Strip since the partial easing of the blockade, only 600 trucks have been unloaded on the Gaza side, with fewer having been collected and distributed due to numerous security restrictions imposed by Israel.
Laerke described the aid effort as “operating under an operational straitjacket,” making it one of the most obstructed humanitarian missions globally in recent times.
He added that once aid trucks arrive in Gaza, they are often overwhelmed by desperate crowds. “I don’t blame them for taking aid that’s essentially theirs — but distribution is not happening as we want,” he said.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a new body supported by Israel and the United States since early May, has reportedly been handing out aid at various locations in the Strip this week, while putting Palestinians through inhumane cage-like processes to receive some aid.
The foundation has faced criticism for allegedly supporting Israeli military goals, excluding Palestinians, and failing to follow humanitarian principles such as neutrality and impartiality.
Laerke commented on the foundation’s operations: “It’s not working. It doesn’t meet people’s needs and creates chaos.”
AFP reporters observed thousands of Palestinians crowding a GHF centre on Tuesday, as Israel introduced a new system that bypasses the UN.
Laerke said that by forcing people to collect aid themselves rather than delivering it directly, they become vulnerable to thieves once they leave distribution sites.
“This situation is desperate, tragic, frustrating, and completely lacking humanity,” he said. Meanwhile, GHF claimed in a statement, without proof, that it had delivered two million meals within four days.
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