PNN – Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), condemned the martyrdom of at least 20 Palestinians and the injury of dozens of others near Israeli aid distribution centers in Gaza.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing Al-Shorouk, Lazzarini wrote in a message on the “X” social network: This “insulting” system for distributing aid forces thousands of hungry and desperate people to walk dozens of miles, and deprives weaker and geographically distant people from receiving aid.
Emphasizing that “the goal of this system is not to alleviate hunger in the Gaza Strip,” he added: The delivery and distribution of aid must be carried out on a large scale and safely.
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The UNRWA Commissioner noted that the distribution of aid in Gaza is only possible through the United Nations, in particular the Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), because this institution has the necessary experience and knowledge and has earned the trust of the local community.
Lazzarini added: Israel must end the blockade of the Gaza Strip and allow the United Nations to enter Gaza safely and without restrictions in order to safely import and distribute aid.
He stressed that this is the only way to prevent widespread famine, including among one million children in the region.
Lazzarini noted that 12,000 UNRWA staff is still providing health, public hygiene and psychosocial support services in Gaza in the most difficult conditions.
He said that six thousand trucks carrying humanitarian aid are waiting to enter the Gaza Strip at the agency’s warehouses outside the Strip.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that 36 martyrs and more than 208 wounded have been transferred to hospitals since this morning.
The ministry also noted that the total number of martyrs related to receiving food aid who have been transferred to hospitals has increased to 163 martyrs and more than 1,495 injured.