ActionAid criticizes Netanyahu for presenting inaccurate Gaza aid figures in speech to US Congress

By Zuhal Demirci

LONDON (AA) - Ziad Issa, head of humanitarian policy at the UK office of international aid organization ActionAid, has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of misrepresenting the amount of aid entering Gaza in his recent speech to the US Congress.

Issa spoke to Anadolu about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, highlighting the increasing need for food and water in the region and the challenges faced by aid workers.

According to Issa, ActionAid works with many humanitarian organizations to deliver aid to Gaza, and a joint report prepared with these organizations published last week highlights the difficulties faced by humanitarian workers in the blockaded enclave.

Issa emphasized that the report aimed to draw attention to the extraordinary efforts of local aid workers in Gaza, who face numerous challenges in reaching those in need.

The challenges include the lack of a safe operational area for humanitarian organizations and workers due to constant bombardment and clashes in Gaza.

Despite having all necessary approvals, Issa said the Israeli army has launched numerous attacks on convoys clearly marked with UN logos in recent days.

He said restrictions imposed by the Israeli government on aid to Gaza, along with complex logistical challenges and processes that aid agencies have to go through, have made their work increasingly difficult.

“We heard Netanyahu in Congress saying that 40,000 trucks have made it to Gaza carrying food since Oct. 7. This is really appalling to hear the Israeli prime minister taking pride in allowing such a number of trucks to get into Gaza because this is nowhere near what we actually need and what Gaza used to have.

“Our data from the UN shows that around 30,000 trucks have gotten inside Gaza, so the figure that was used in the speech is substantially higher than what actually is getting to people inside Gaza,” he said.

- Rising hunger and water scarcity

Issa highlighted the urgent need for food and clean water in Gaza, saying that “before Oct. 7, before the war started, 80% of Gaza’s population was relying on aid to survive.”

“Now we anticipate that every single person in Gaza is fully relying on aid.

“People are unable to produce their own food, they are unable to go and plant foods, they are unable to go to markets to buy food because it's simply not available, which means that aid is the only way for people to survive and food assistance is the only way that will enable people to survive,” he said.

He added that there also has been an increase in miscarriages due to malnutrition and hunger.

- Humanitarian disaster

"We are in a humanitarian catastrophe. And those people that are surviving the war, that they are able to escape the bombardments and flee, they are now at risk of dying as a result of hunger or dehydration. This is extremely avoidable. This is a human-made catastrophe. This is a human-made crisis," Issa said.

"The answer for it is for this war to stop and for Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and this obligation of protecting civilians, of delivering aid to people."

He expressed ActionAid’s determination to continue providing aid to those in need within Gaza, saying their efforts are made possible by the great courage of aid workers in Gaza and the strength of ActionAid’s partners.

In a report published on July 25, ActionAid said 500 aid trucks were needed daily to meet basic needs before the Israeli attacks on Gaza. However, in July, Israel only allowed 710 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter.

Currently, 1,500 aid trucks belonging to the UN and various non-governmental organizations are waiting in Egypt, according to the publication.