United Nations: The people of Gaza need “everything” and UNRWA is indispensable

In an interview with a UN News correspondent in Gaza, Mr. Petropoulos said that at least two hundred trucks of humanitarian supplies need to be brought in to meet very basic needs, especially in southern Gaza, but this is not happening.

And he said: “Despite repeated calls to the Government of Israel to open the crossings in a timely manner, these crossings are opening too slowly and are not fit for purpose. This situation has over time created a problem of criminal looting of our supplies.”

The head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza said that the lack of the rule of law is very evident in southeastern Rafah, where the Salah al-Din Road is considered… “Impassable for most of our supplies.” This situation has led to more than one million people in southern Gaza lacking the amount of food they need. “And they are certainly not prepared for the harsh winter we will face.”

He added: “We are faced with an unfortunate choice, as we must decide whether to bring food and other items such as flour, or shelter supplies to the residents of southern Gaza.”

Mr. Petropoulos renewed the United Nations’ call that has been ongoing for more than a year to open more crossings to allow the appropriate amount of humanitarian aid, in parallel with allowing an appropriate amount of commercial goods to enter Gaza, adding: “People cannot live with dignity if they do not have both.”

He also insisted on the importance of the rule of law and an enabling environment for humanitarian action, “Not only in terms of the quantity we bring, but also the types of things we bring to the people of Gaza.”

There is no alternative to UNRWA

The OCHA official then touched on the necessary work carried out by UNRWA as the backbone of humanitarian relief in Gaza. Commenting on moves in Israel that might lead to the cessation of UNRWA’s work in the occupied Palestinian territory, and rumors about the possibility of replacing the agency, Petropoulos said that the United Nations does not want to do so, and does not have the ability to do so.

He told a UN News correspondent: “We can’t do that. We shouldn’t do that, and we can’t do that. UNRWA provides between 66 and 70 percent of primary health care in Gaza. UNRWA provides millions of supplies to the medical sector. Schools have been out of action for more than a year. It provides sanitation services. It provides us with the fuel we use. There is no alternative plan to replace UNRWA here in Gaza. There will be a profound humanitarian catastrophe if UNRWA is forced to stop working, and we demand that it does not happen that”.

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