UNRWA chief says airdrops will not alleviate starvation in Gaza

“Airdrops to Gaza are just a distraction and a smokescreen,” Philippe Lazzarini said in a press statement on Saturday, cautioning that such steps “will not stop the worsening famine” in the besieged coastal territory.

He emphasized that they are expensive, ineffective, and may even result in civilian casualties, advocating instead for land-based aid distribution, which he characterized as “easier, more effective, faster, safer, and more dignified for the people of Gaza.”

Lazzarini disclosed that 6,000 aid trucks filled with urgently required supplies are presently stationed in Jordan and Egypt, prepared to enter Gaza as soon as authorization is received.

The UNRWA chief also called for the prompt lifting of the siege, the opening of all crossings, and the facilitation of UN agencies and humanitarian partners to operate freely within the strip.

The remarks came amid growing discussions of aid airdrops into Gaza.

Eleven people were reported with injuries, as one of these pallets fell directly on tents in a displacement site near al-Rasheed road from the northern part of the Strip.

But people were able to get some of the boxes and the food parcels on that pallet.

The Government Media Office of Gaza has issued a warning regarding an unparalleled humanitarian disaster, saying that over 100,000 children, among them 40,000 infants, are at risk of life-threatening hunger as a result of the blockade.

The overall death count resulting from starvation and malnutrition has currently reached 122, including 83 children, and it is projected to escalate rapidly as the siege and the closure of crossings persist.

In the meantime, United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations have issued critical alerts indicating that therapeutic food for children suffering from severe malnutrition is on the verge of depletion, putting the lives of thousands of the most vulnerable individuals in jeopardy.

At least 59,733 Palestinians have been martyred, mostly women and children, and another 144,477 individuals injured in the brutal Zionist regime’s onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023.