He confirmed that preventing UNRWA, which is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza, from bringing any aid into the sector since March 2, 2025, has worsened the crisis. The commissioner called for an urgent political decision to open the crossings unconditionally, emphasizing that UNRWA has the necessary expertise and human and material resources to fully contribute to alleviating the sector’s suffering.
Dr. Adnan Abu Hasna, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stated on Friday that there have been airdrops of humanitarian aid carried out by countries like Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan over certain areas of the Gaza Strip. He added in statements to ‘Sputnik’ that the relief and humanitarian materials and food being dropped do not directly come to the United Nations, as they fall in certain areas and are not directed to UNRWA or humanitarian organizations for distribution.
He confirmed that dozens of trucks enter the Gaza Strip daily, but they are seized by hundreds of thousands of hungry Palestinians, both in the north and south of the sector, some of which are looted and do not reach the United Nations warehouses. He explained that the United Nations does not distribute them in the usual manner through names and family size, according to the information available to the agency.
Regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Abu Hasna said that the situation is currently very dire and continues to deteriorate. Malnutrition is widespread, and deaths are increasing, especially among children and the elderly. More than 95% of the Gaza Strip’s population suffers from varying levels of malnutrition, in addition to an unprecedented spread of diseases.
He pointed out that UNRWA still receives 18,000 patients in its clinics, and the agency continues to carry out solid waste collection and water distribution as much as possible in and outside shelter centers. However, the United Nations has not played its role in distributing amid this massive chaos in aid entry.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported on Friday that 1,373 Palestinians have been killed while waiting for aid in the Gaza Strip since late May. The UN office confirmed last Friday that most of the dead were shot while waiting for aid in the Gaza Strip, whose residents have been suffering from severe food shortages since late May.
Israel resumed its bombardment of the Gaza Strip on March 18, after a nearly two-month halt, specifically since the ceasefire agreement with Hamas began on January 19, following the collapse of negotiations to extend the first phase of the agreement or move to its second phase.
