humanitarian aid is “completely paralyzed”, warns the UN

Israel has taken control of the Rafah crossing point on the border with Egypt, making the delivery of aid “extremely difficult” and raising fears of a fuel shortage.

“It is unimaginable that we would force human beings to go through such a horrible experience”. Israel’s closure of the main crossing points into the Gaza Strip has cut off the main valves for the delivery of aid, fuel in particular, warned Andrea De Domenico, head of the office of the United Nations humanitarian agency in the occupied Palestinian territories (Ocha), Thursday May 9.

On Sunday, Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing after rocket fire, claimed by the armed wing of Hamas, killed four Israeli soldiers there. The Israeli army then called on residents of eastern Rafah neighborhoods to evacuate, before taking control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and closing it as well.

More than “3 days of fuel” in hospitals

If Israel announced that it had reopened Kerem Shalom on Wednesday, Andrea De Domenico believes that the delivery of aid remains “extremely difficult”. The Israelis “have tanks everywhere, troops on the ground, they are bombing the area east of Rafah and they want us to go and get fuel or commodities [dans ces zones de guerre] ? They know we just can’t go.”criticized Andrea De Domenico.

For his part, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared on Wednesday that hospitals in the southern Gaza Strip only had “three days of fuel”. Catherine Russell, director of Unicef, the United Nations children’s agency, warned on Thursday that if the fuel was not allowed to enter “the consequences would be felt almost immediately” : “Incubators for premature babies will stop, children and families will become dehydrated or consume water” non-drinkable and “wasted time will soon turn into lost lives.”

Without new supplies, food aid stocks risk running out and medical treatment for malnourished children risks being interrupted. The lack of fuel could also separate displaced families, especially children who risk getting lost. “Without fuel, no antennas, no telecommunications”, says Andrea De Domenico. The last remaining hospitals in a ruined Gaza Strip could also cease to function.