Situation ‘excruciatingly difficult’ as no aid entering northern Gaza: UNRWA chief

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) – It is becoming “excruciatingly difficult” to get in aid to the northern part of the Gaza Strip and the situation is “extremely worrying,” according to the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Current estimates are there are still between 250,000 to 300,000 people in northern Gaza, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told Anadolu in an interview in Geneva.

He said it is “difficult to know exactly how many are remaining, but the vast majority now has gone from the north to the south” after Israel’s evacuation orders.

“Unfortunately, since the beginning of the ground invasion, we have very little information about the situation in the north,” he said.

He said UNRWA is no longer present in the area and only has contact by phone whenever communication lines are open.

“The last time we have been able to organize convoys to the north has been ... four or five days ago, when we sent a convoy to the Al-Shifa Hospital before Al-Shifa Hospital was surrounded,” he said, adding that it was the “only time” UNRWA has recently been able to send aid to northern Gaza.

“Our call is constantly to provide assistance wherever the people are, from Rafah to Beit Hanoun. The reality for the time being is that it has become excruciatingly difficult to organize assistance from the south to the north.”

Lazzarini said what has been seen over the last few days is that the so-called “humanitarian corridor” from northern Gaza to the south is only functioning in one direction, with thousands of displaced Palestinians leaving the devastated region.

“But there hasn’t been any possibility to go up to the north and this is an extremely worrying situation,” he said.

- ‘Entire international response in jeopardy’

Lazzarini emphasized that neither UNRWA nor other partners have any capacity problems for delivering aid to Gaza, but Israel’s curbs on fuel supplies is proving to be a major obstacle.

“The less we are getting (fuel), the more complicated it is becoming, because people will know that their needs will not be addressed and this will fuel the acceleration of civil order collapse,” he said.

That is why we saw some people go into warehouses out of “panic and despair” three weeks ago, he said, adding that the situation will only worsen and humanitarian operations will become “more difficult” if the Israeli restrictions continue.

“The more we wait for the fuel, the more we put the entire international response into jeopardy,” he warned.

Since Israel started bombarding Gaza on Oct. 7, at least 11,500 Palestinians have been killed, including over 7,800 women and children, and more than 29,200 others have been injured, according to latest figures.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.

An Israeli blockade has also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity and water supplies, and reduced aid deliveries to a small trickle.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

According to UNRWA’s own figures, at least 103 of its workers have also been killed in Israeli attacks, while 64 of its facilities have been damaged – 70% of them south of Wadi Gaza, in the central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip.

- Every need ‘trickles down to fuel’ in Gaza

Lazzarini said Israeli authorities allowed a “one-time” provision of 23,000 liters on Wednesday, which could only be used for forklifts and trucks to move aid supplies coming in through the Rafah crossing.

“This fuel will not make any difference,” the UNRWA chief said, explaining that it is just 10% of the daily requirement of 120,000 liters.

The amount needed will keep rising with each passing day as more critical services run out of fuel, he added.

He said UNRWA has repeatedly underlined the need for fuel, which is essential for supplies of water and food, as well as for running generators at hospitals and UNRWA centers that are hosting more than 800,000 displaced Palestinians.

“What was given yesterday was technically for two days. So, it’s 10%, but in reality now, our needs might even increase and go beyond 220,000 (liters) because many of the municipal services have also run out of fuel,” he said.

“So, the fuel which came in is nowhere enough to keep the humanitarian response ongoing.”

He said UNRWA has not received any commitment from the Israeli side about more fuel supplies for humanitarian aid deliveries.

“If it is only for the trucks, we will not be able to operate anyway,” stressing that “everything trickles down to the fuel.”

“We have said yes to this fuel for the trucks yesterday, with the understanding that we will receive the fuel for all the other critical life-saving activities. There is still no decision that I’m aware of,” he said.

“The more we wait, the more the impact would be disastrous.”