UNRWA Halts Humanitarian Aid via Main Gaza Crossing Due to Safety Issues
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Gaza, Dec 1 (NationPress) The UN agency for Palestine refugees has made the decision to temporarily suspend humanitarian aid deliveries through the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is a vital gateway for aid into the Gaza Strip, citing ongoing safety risks along this path.
On November 16, a substantial convoy of aid trucks was seized by armed groups, and on Saturday, additional food trucks were reportedly taken, as stated by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) via the social media platform X.
"The obligation to safeguard aid workers and supplies rests with the State of Israel as the occupying authority. They must ensure that aid can flow into Gaza securely," the agency emphasized.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed on X that this challenging decision is made amidst a growing crisis of hunger in Gaza. "The provision of humanitarian assistance should never pose danger or become a challenge," he remarked.
The humanitarian efforts in Gaza have become increasingly insurmountable due to "the continuous siege, obstacles imposed by Israeli authorities, political decisions limiting aid volumes, unsafe transit routes, and attacks on local law enforcement," he further elaborated.
A UN convoy consisting of 109 trucks transporting food supplies was "brutally looted" on November 16 after entering Gaza, resulting in the loss of 97 trucks and drivers being coerced at gunpoint to offload the aid, according to reports from UNRWA and Xinhua.
On November 18, Hamas reported that 20 individuals were killed in a security operation conducted east of Rafah, southern Gaza, targeting gangs accused of looting aid trucks entering the region.
