US-backed aid model wastes resources, distracts from atrocities, says UNRWA head
Palestinians heading to receive food and aid packages from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. (AP pic)
TOKYO : The new US-backed aid distribution model in Gaza is a waste of resources and a distraction from 'atrocities', the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini said on Wednesday.
'I believe it is a waste of resources and a distraction from atrocities. We already have an aid distribution system that is fit for purpose,' Lazzarini said in Japan.
'The humanitarian community in Gaza, including UNRWA, is ready. We have the experience and expertise to reach people in need,' he said.
'Meanwhile, the clock is ticking towards famine, so humanitarian (work) must be allowed to do its life-saving work now,' he added.
The new US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations at an aid distribution centre in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Chaotic scenes ensued as thousands of Palestinians rushed into the centre in Rafah, AFP journalists reported.
The incident came days after the partial easing of a total aid blockade on the territory that Israel imposed on March 2, leading to severe shortages of food and medicine.
'We have seen yesterday the shocking images of hungry people pushing against fences, desperate for food. It was chaotic, undignified and unsafe,' Lazzarini said in Tokyo.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later acknowledged a 'loss of control momentarily' at the centre, but a senior military official said the distribution was nonetheless 'a success'.
The United States announced the new model in early May, sidelining the UN.
Israel has facilitated GHF's efforts to distribute aid in Gaza, saying it aims to keep supplies out of Hamas's hands.
But, GHF has faced accusations of helping Israel fulfil its military objectives while excluding Palestinians, bypassing the UN system, and failing to adhere to humanitarian principles.
'The model of aid distribution proposed by Israel does not align with core humanitarian principle. It will deprive a large part of Gaza, the highly vulnerable people, of desperately needed assistance,' Lazzarini said Wednesday.
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