 "Image courtesy: @UNRWA/X")
The lack of food supplies and other humanitarian aid has forced the United Nations to suspend food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Palestinians in Gaza have not received aid for over two days via the US-made pier which was seemingly functioning and was being used to deliver supplies to Gaza via the sea route. UN has also warned that the $320 million project may prove futile unless Israel starts setting conditions safe for humanitarian groups to function safely in the region.
The suspension of food distribution in Rafah was announced by UNRWA on X. The aid agency said that owing to the ongoing military operation in eastern Rafah, the UNRWA distribution centre and the World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse are now inaccessible while food distribution in Rafah is currently suspended due to a lack of supplies and insecurity.
However, the WFP continues to provide hot meals and has “limited distributions” of food parcels in central Gaza. The agency will run out of parcel stocks within days, WFP warned.
Food trucks not reaching warehouse
Last week, Gaza received the first shipment of aid via a temporary pier designed to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance to the war-torn region.
The pier project, expected to cost $320 million, was ordered more than two months ago by US President Joe Biden to help starving Palestinians as Israeli restrictions on border crossings and heavy fighting hinder food and other supplies from making it into Gaza.
After 2-3 days of normal functioning, the plan was hit by a snag as desperate Palestinians intercepted the food trucks carrying supplies from the pier before they could even reach a WFP warehouse.
WFP Spokesperson Shaza Moghraby said that the last day trucks were able to reach the warehouse successfully was May 18.
“Crowds had stopped the trucks at various points along the way. There was what I think I would refer to as self-distribution. These trucks were traveling through areas where there’d been no aid. I think people feared that they would never see aid. They grabbed what they could," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
What will UN do now?
The UN is now evaluating alternative routes, logistics and security measures within Gaza to ensure the safe delivery of aid.
WFP has collaborated with US Agency for International Development to coordinate the delivery of food supplies via the new US route.