Loading ...Israel’s Blockade and UNRWA Ban Worsen Gaza’s Crisis
By: Jad Elsaghir / Arab America Contributing Writer
For many in Gaza, finding essential aid has become exponentially difficult. Israel has consistently blocked all forms of aid from entering Gaza from food, water, medicine, and other essential items; this comes after months of continuous bombardment which has left Gaza’s hospitals, agricultural, and housing institutions in ruins–leaving millions displaced & starved. Despite defying international law on a global scale, they have now gone a step further by banning UNRWA from providing essential aid to those in Palestine, set to take place in 90 days.
For over a year, Israel has been persistent in reducing the life-saving aid that comes into Gaza. With over half a million at risk of starvation, and an entire population facing hunger and disease, it’s evident that the systematic blockade on essential aid is a ploy in Israel’s overarching goal of the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians. About 96 percent of the population in the Gaza Strip (2.15M people) face high levels of acute food insecurity through September 2024. Some data analysis done by those on the ground in Gaza shows some egregious statistics on what the population is currently facing, such as 83% of food aid not making it into Gaza, an increase from 34% in 2023.
Only around 1,500 hospital beds remain operational for a population of over 2 million, a number that has surely gone down since recent bombardments by the Zionist entity. Finally, over 1.8 million people are currently in need of shelter. The list of humanitarian crises facing Gaza would require many more pages, in fact, South Africa recently filed charges in the ICJ detailing Israel’s crimes within 800 pages. Israel’s denial of aid is tantamount to using food and aid as weapons of war.
Despite these statistics, how has Israel managed to remove UNRWA from the equation? UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine, is a lifeline that supports relief and human development for Palestinian refugees, funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member states. Existing since 1949, it has been a large contributor to Palestinian refugees receiving aid, education, healthcare, and other basic services.
Israel’s decision to outlaw UNRWA came about when it notified the United Nations that it had decided to cut ties with the agency, closing its bounds in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza. This decision is based on allegations, which have yet to be substantiated by any actual evidence, that Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA, and that members of UNRWA were responsible for the October 7 attacks in 2023. Despite allegations, one fact remains true; Israeli forces have killed more than 130 UNRWA workers in one year in Gaza, which serves as a major violation of international law. Israel is also an occupier, which means they have a legal and moral duty to deliver aid to those in need, even during a “war.” according to the Fourth Geneva Conventions.
So what does all of this mean for Gaza? This ban will ultimately lead to the collapse of any international humanitarian aid coming in for those in Gaza and is a direct violation of International Humanitarian Law. Upon enforcement of this law, it will send more Palestinians into hunger, illness, and death. Despite Israel insisting other UN agencies could fill the gap, UNRWA has served as the essential agency to combat issues that relate to health, education, and food insecurity that arose from Israel’s genocide in Gaza. It is evident that UNRWA is a difficult agency to replace, as a World Food Programme official even stated that it cannot replace UNRWA.
Take a look at other communities in conflict that have suffered from aid cuts, such as the current humanitarian crisis in Yemen. 17 million people in Yemen currently face food insecurity, with 21.6 million in need of basic humanitarian assistance. The implications of such insecurities have caused shifts in the country’s economy, public health concerns, and an increased risk of starvation and long-term economic repercussions due to a weakened workforce and social infrastructure. These are issues that are difficult to repel and return from, which is the same struggle Gaza currently faces.
Banning UNWRA will only worsen the ongoing genocide. What little aid has entered Gaza will be further constrained, and what little morality the world has exercised will be tested again. At what point does the UN act, and at what point does the world decide it has had enough of Israel’s heinous war crimes?
Check out our blog here!
