UN Official: UNRWA is the Backbone of Humanitarian Efforts in Gaza

SadaNews - Adnan Abu Hasna, the spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), confirmed today, Thursday, that the agency is the backbone of humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip and must lead the response efforts there.

He noted that it has been unable to deliver any of the humanitarian supplies designated for Gaza despite several days passing since the ceasefire came into effect.

According to the United Nations Media Center, Abu Hasna stated that Israel has not yet allowed UNRWA to bring in food and non-food aid contained in six thousand trucks waiting at the gates of the Gaza Strip, indicating that these trucks hold food supplies sufficient for the Gaza Strip's population for three months.

He added, "We have hundreds of thousands of blankets, tents, clothes, as well as large quantities of medicine that must enter so we can truly confront the harsh and dangerous conditions in the Strip, which are still deteriorating. The war has stopped, but the suffering continues."

Abu Hasna confirmed that the agency has 12,000 employees currently working inside the Gaza Strip and 8,000 teachers working on a plan developed by UNRWA in collaboration with partners to reintegrate and engage 640,000 students who have been completely displaced from the educational process for two years.

He indicated that health operations in the sector are still ongoing, with the number of medical visits at UNRWA clinics since October 7, 2023, exceeding ten million visits, affirming the continuation of solid waste collection operations, alongside providing essential supplies to shelter centers and drilling wells within camps.

He stated that psychological support services are still being provided uninterrupted, with around 800,000 psychological consultations offered through UNRWA. He emphasized that all operations continue, except for food distribution, which has been halted due to the Israeli occupation authorities preventing the execution of this mission.

He clarified that about 90% of the agency’s facilities have either been destroyed or severely damaged, and that conditions in the Gaza Strip are generally dire, as Israel still controls 53% of the area, in addition to the roads being filled with rubble, making movement difficult and highlighting the many needs of the sector.

He called for strengthening Arab support for the agency to ensure the continuation of its services in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, noting that the agency's commissioner-general is in intensive talks with various parties to ensure the entry of aid and enable its international staff to access the Strip.