UN: 200 NGOs reject Israel proposals to disrupt aid distribution system in Gaza

More than 200 non-governmental organisations and around 15 UN agencies have rejected Israeli proposals aimed at dismantling the existing aid distribution system in Gaza, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The rejection comes after over nine weeks of a complete blockade imposed on Gaza’s population.

In a statement issued yesterday, OCHA warned of the escalating humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip. It cited concerns from UNICEF, which said children in Gaza face “a growing risk of starvation, illness and death” as a result of worsening conditions. The agency reported that one-third of UN-supported community kitchens have closed over the past ten days due to severe shortages of food supplies and fuel.

The UN office added that “over 75 per cent of households in Gaza report a decline in water access over the past month, amid deteriorating sanitation conditions.”

Gaza Government: 65,000 children at risk of death due to Israel’s starvation

It further warned that “Gaza’s medical rehabilitation system is on the verge of collapse, strained by a surge in traumatic injuries, damaged infrastructure, and critical shortages of specialists, supplies, and equipment, depriving individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable groups of essential care.”

Israeli authorities have barred the entry of all aid supplies into the Gaza Strip since 2 March, leading to the shutdown of bakeries, community kitchens and local charities. International aid organisations have announced that their stockpiles of essential food items and infant formula have been entirely depleted.

Israel resumed its military assault on Gaza at dawn on 18 March, following a two-month ceasefire agreement that began on 19 January. However, during the truce period, Israel repeatedly violated the terms of the agreement.