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Critical Aid Blockage Threatens Gaza: Vital Supplies Rot While Needs Surge
Displaced Palestinians in Gaza receive food aid.Critical supplies are stuck at border crossings, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Abed rahim/Anadolu via Getty Images
Amman, Jordan – Vital food and medical aid intended to alleviate suffering in Gaza is being held up, with important quantities at risk of spoilage. Tens Of Thousands of boxes of food, critical for combating malnutrition, remain stranded due to access restrictions.
Jonathan Fowler, a Spokesperson for United Nations Relief And Works Agency (UNRWA), reports that some food supplies are nearing their expiration dates. The Blockage prevents essential resources from reaching those who desperately need assistance.
mounting Concerns Over Expiring Supplies
Approximately 200,000 metric tons of flour are among the items facing expiration as early as July. While some of this flour could be redirected to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, a significant portion may ultimately be discarded, Fowler stated.
The Stranded food includes Turkish chickpeas, yeast, lentils, canned fish, and sugar. These Supplies are carefully calibrated to provide balanced meals, sufficient to feed 200,000 individuals for an entire month.
Jordan’s Role as a Humanitarian Hub Hampered
Following the escalation of conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2023, the United States and its military facilitated Jordan’s establishment as a primary hub for channeling humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Jordan, a key U.S. ally maintaining peaceful relations with Israel, offered a geographically beneficial location, with the Gaza border only a three-hour drive away.
Countering Initial promises, U.N. Officials now claim that Israel has indicated it will no longer accept aid originating from Jordan or neighboring Egypt, despite the dire need and established logistical pathways.
Jonathan Whittall, Head of the U.N.’s Office For Humanitarian Affairs In Gaza, notes, “One of The restrictions this last week has been to only bring in goods from Israel. We haven’t been able to bring our goods from Egypt and from Jordan, which has limited on the medical side specifically, what we can bring in and how quickly.”
Financial strain on Aid organizations
This Logistical deadlock has left hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of humanitarian goods stranded. Aid organizations now face the added burden of mounting storage fees for supplies procured through public and private donations.
Israel has previously alleged that Hamas is diverting aid, claims refuted by the U.N. And Various aid officials, including Cindy Mccain, Head Of The World Food Program, who assert that Israel has not provided concrete evidence of systematic diversion. Proven distribution systems developed over decades are employed by many aid groups operating in Gaza.
Questions Surround New Aid Organization
The Emergence of a new aid organization, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has drawn criticism. Details regarding the group’s funding and personnel remain scarce.
Sean carroll, president And CEO Of Anera, a Major U.S.-Based Aid Group Operating In Gaza, cautions against armed personnel managing humanitarian sites, particularly amid widespread hunger and insufficient aid. Jake Wood, the initial head of GHF, resigned last Sunday, citing the organization’s inability to adhere to humanitarian principles.
According to Carroll, Aid groups collectively have over 10 million meals awaiting passage on trucks at Israel’s Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza. Some of these supplies are within Gaza but are being blocked from further distribution. Israel has countered by blaming the United Nations for failing to collect and distribute aid.
GHF’s Distrobution requires Palestinians to travel to limited access points in southern Gaza. This contrasts sharply with established aid groups’ methods of delivering aid directly within communities.
Carroll Stated,”We’ve continued to make meals and deliver them,but rather of 100,000 to 150,000 a day,we’ve been doing 1,000 or 2,000 a day.”
Depleting Medical Supplies Heighten Crisis
Unrwa, initially established in 1948, serves as the primary healthcare provider in Gaza. Fowler reports critical shortages, with medical supplies, including essential burn ointments, reduced to half the necessary levels in the past two months.
Rachel Norris, Gaza Director For Doctors Without Borders, highlights the critical shortages of antiseptics, gauze, gloves, and painkillers due to the ongoing restrictions. Some supplies are close to their expiration dates.
Speaking Via video call from Gaza, Norris shared, “Even The Most Vrey Basic Medical Supplies that are critical when we’re doing wound care and surgery are missing… You know it’s heartbreaking when I’m in the hospital like I was today and you see children in agony.”
The Israeli military agency tasked with overseeing access at the Gaza border reported having no information regarding restrictions on aid originating from Jordan and Egypt.
A state Department spokesperson, insisting on anonymity, dismissed reports of Israel barring aid from Jordan and egypt as “absolutely false.”
Aid organizations contend that in addition to the block on aid currently stored in Jordan and Egypt, Israel’s consistent rejection of items deemed possibly for military use, such as water treatment chemicals, compounds the problem.
Aid Delivery Methods: A Comparison
| Provider | Distribution Method | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Established Aid Groups | direct Delivery Within Communities | Restricted Access, reduced Capacity |
| Gaza Humanitarian foundation (GHF) | Designated Access Points In Southern Gaza | Limited Access Points, Unclear Operations |
