The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said that the situation in the Gaza Strip, which is being subjected to genocide by Israel, is “absolutely horrific.”
Lazzarini explained in a statement on Wednesday that international interest in Gaza has declined significantly since Israel began its attacks on Iran on June 13.
He added that Israeli attacks are being carried out daily in the Gaza Strip, and that Palestinians continue to be displaced on a continuous basis and feel completely besieged by the aid system imposed by Tel Aviv.
Apart from the oversight of the United Nations and international organizations, Tel Aviv and Washington began implementing a plan on May 27 to distribute limited aid through the so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,” forcing starving Palestinians to choose between death by starvation or being shot by the Israeli army.
Lazzarini continued, “People there are asking: Should I let my family die of hunger? Or risk my life to reach humanitarian aid? We are facing a horrific situation in Gaza.”
He expressed hope that the ceasefire reached between Israel and Iran on Tuesday would be sustainable and help shed light on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
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He added, “We urgently need de-escalation in a region that cannot afford another conflict. I hope that the ceasefire will allow us to refocus on reaching a truce in Gaza, releasing prisoners, lifting the blockade, and ensuring uninterrupted, large-scale humanitarian assistance.”
He pointed out that UNRWA had demonstrated in previous truces its ability to combat hunger, and that humanitarian aid was waiting outside the Gaza Strip’s borders, ready to enter.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international appeals and orders from the International Court of Justice to stop.
The genocide left approximately 188,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and famine claimed the lives of many, including children, as well as widespread destruction.
UNRWA was established by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on December 8, 1949, and began operations on May 1, 1950. It is responsible for protecting Palestinian refugees and providing education, health, social assistance, microfinance, and emergency relief services.
