“Humanitarian aid has not increased at all,” says UNRWA spokesperson, contradicting the Israeli army

“Humanitarian aid has not increased at all” in the Gaza Strip, contradicted Tuesday April 16 on franceinfo Tamara Alrifaï, director of external relations and communications for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The day before, Colonel Olivier Rafowicz, spokesperson for the Israeli army, affirmed on franceinfo that Israel had increased “in an extremely sensitive manner the entry of humanitarian trucks for several days” in the Gaza Strip. “Nearly 500 trucks enter” And “we opened a new humanitarian crossing point in the north of the Gaza Strip”, he reported.

“Humanitarian aid has not increased at all. The restrictions, logistical and security obstacles and checks facing these famous trucks which transport food aid, medicines, tents, have not decreased”, said Tamara Alrifaï. The UN has called on the Jewish state to do more to deliver humanitarian aid to Gazans threatened by famine in the Gaza Strip. “The humanitarian situation in Gaza today is catastrophic. Gazans lack everything, they lack food, water, health care, fuel, electricity”, explained the Unrwa spokesperson. A large majority of the Gazan population is crowded into the southern Gaza Strip in Rafah. “Everyone is waiting with concern for the Israeli ground incursion that we have been talking about for several weeks”she reported.

“We continue to manage 53 shelters where 1.4 million people have found refuge”

UNRWA has been at the center of controversy as several of its employees have been accused by Israel of having participated in the October 7 attack. Several major donors, including the United States, have stopped funding the UN agency: “We are extremely lacking in financial support,” she says despite the return of certain countries.

Despite its limited resources compared to the needs in Gaza, UNRWA continues as best it can to provide aid to Gazans. “We have very little to offer, but we continue to manage 53 shelters where 1.4 million people have found refuge”, she specifies. Tamara Alrifaï asks “a much higher delivery of humanitarian aid, food” and calls Israel “to lower the restrictions on the passage of our trucks”. The UN agency has paid a heavy price in the conflict between Hamas and Israel. “Since the start of this war, UNRWA has lost 178 people. The entire United Nations has lost 200 humanitarian workers. The human price is very high,” she was alarmed.