The UN has repeatedly said it cannot operate in Gaza due to Israeli conditions (Photo by ADNAN ABU HASNA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Humanitarian work in Gaza continues to be disrupted by Israeli authorities with only one-third of aid missions authorised to operate over the past week despite the mounting needs of people, a United Nations spokesperson said.
Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, said on Friday that just one third of 129 planned aid missions were able to be carried out with approval of Israeli military, even as humanitarian agencies continue to sound the alarm over the dire living conditions for Gaza’s 2.3 million population after 13 months of war.
“Israeli forces prevented two-thirds of the 129 different humanitarian aid operations from reaching the Gaza Strip last week,” Dujarric said.
He also warned that the coming winter will bring further misery to the population the majority of whom are living in tents or damaged buildings not suitable for cold and wet weather.
“As winter nears, Palestinians across the Gaza Strip are in dire need of adequate shelter to protect them from the rain and cold. Our partners are distributing tents and tarpaulins as quickly as possible, but just a fraction of the supplies needed are entering Gaza,” Dujarric said.
It comes as OCHA reported that more humanitarian workers have been killed so far in 2024 than any other year on record with the brutal war in the Palestinian territory causing a surge in deaths, as well as other conflicts around the world.
The Aid Worker Security Database recorded the deaths of 281 humanitarian workers globally this week, passing the grim milestone of last year’s record of 280.
Israel’s war in Gaza has seen extreme danger levels for humanitarian agencies and staff attempting to operate in the besieged enclave as basic services have been cut off. More than 300 aid workers have been killed while humanitarian facilities, convoys, buildings and displacement areas have been regularly hit by artillery or air strikes.
The UN has called on both Hamas and Israel to ensure humanitarian workers are able to operate and deliver aid to population most of whom have been displaced and are dependent on aid handouts for daily sustenance.
Tom Fletcher Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said: “Humanitarian workers are being killed at an unprecedented rate, their courage and humanity being met with bullets and bombs”.
“This violence is unconscionable and devastating to aid operations. States and parties to conflict must protect humanitarians, uphold international law, prosecute those responsible, and call time on this era of impunity.”
Humanitarian workers are protected in conflicts under international law as dictated in the Geneva Conventions.
The latest OCHA report on Gaza details that “at least 333 aid workers” have been killed with the majority from the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA).
One notable incident which sparked worldwide condemnation was the killing of seven aid workers from international NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) in April.
The workers were targeted in multiple strikes by an Israeli drone, which Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu later described as a “tragic event”. Netanyahu has since been found wanted by the International Criminal Court for allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza war.
The seven workers were from Australia, Poland, UK, US and Gaza and their deaths prompted global outrage as Israel attempted to explain why they had been struck despite their movements being coordinated with the Israeli army and cleared.
They were traveling in a deconflicted zone from delivering food supplies which had been bought to Gaza from the brief maritime route.
The alarming increase in violence against aid workers is part of a broader trend of growing civilian death sin conflicts, according to OCHA. In 2023, more than 33,000 civilians were killed in 14 conflicts globally, a worrying 72 percent increase from the year before.
The number of aid worker deaths has also surged since 2022 when 118 people were killed, according to the Aid Worker Security database.
Aid workers have also faced kidnappings, injuries and arbitrary detention in several conflict zones including Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine and Yemen, to name just some.
