UNRWA: Aid Distribution in Gaza Becomes Death TrapNew York, 2 Jun (ONA) — Commissioner-General of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe
Lazzarini warned that the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip
has become a “death trap” in light of the ongoing Israeli
bombardment.In a statement issued today, Lazzarini called on Israel to lift
the blockade and allow aid to enter and be distributed safely and without
hindrance under UN supervision to avert famine.Lazzarini pointed out that dozens of starving civilians had
recently been killed and injured by Israeli forces, according to reports from
international paramedics on the ground.He strongly criticized the Israeli plan for distributing aid,
which set a delivery point in the far south of Rafah, forcing thousands of
hungry and needy civilians to walk dozens of kilometers to an area almost
destroyed by intense Israeli bombardment. He considered this “humiliating
system” to not alleviate the suffering, but rather to deepen it.For its part, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs stressed that Israel’s military-style distribution plan is
in no way capable of meeting the massive needs in Gaza.The office previously considered the Gaza Strip to be “the
hungriest place on earth,” noting that Israel prevented all but a small
amount of aid from entering the Strip.— Ends/AH