ANDThe commissioner of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, warned that it will be “an enormous challenge” to avoid famine in the Gaza Strip, if Israeli attacks against humanitarian convoys persist, such as the one that occurred yesterday against the car of the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK), owned by chef José Andrés, where seven humanitarian workers died.
World Central Kitchen workers surround the bodies of their murdered colleagues.
Photo:
“The murder of humanitarian workers and the prevention of UNRWA convoys from entering will not save lives and prevent famine,” Lazzarini added in his message.
According to the Haaretz media, which cites defense sources, An Israeli drone even fired three times at a World Central Kitchen convoy in the city of Deir al Balah, in the center of the enclave, even though the cars were clearly marked with the organization's logo.
Killing humanitarian workers and preventing UNRWA convoys from entering will not save lives and prevent famine.
As a result of what happened, the group founded by the chef of Spanish and American nationality announced this Tuesday the cessation of its operations in the Stripcrucial to deliver humanitarian aid to the north of the enclave, where at least 300,000 civilians are exposed to famine.
“Time is not on our side. Palestinian civilians in Gaza cannot wait any longer,” Lazzarini lamented in his message, in which he accused Israel of “absence of political will” to end the suffering of the Gazan population.
The UNRWA commissioner also reiterated to the Government of Israel to let its convoys enter northern Gaza, because they are “the leading provider of rescue services” for hungry civilians.
“We need a ceasefire and the opening of more border crossings,” he added.
It is a huge challenge to reverse a man made famine in #Loop in the absence of a political will.
The killing of humanitarian workers yesterday and the denial of @UNRWA to join convoys to the north, including to Al Shifa Hospital today, require a complete reversal in policies…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) April 2, 2024
On March 25, Israel announced that it was stopping working with UNRWA, whom it accuses of having links with the Hamas group and that his workers participated in the massacre on October 7.
The deaths in the Gaza Strip since the war between Israel and Hamas began now reach 32,916, most of them women and children, according to the latest data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by the Islamist group.
EFE
#UNRWA #warns #famine #Gaza #avoided #attacks #continue
