UN Halts Aid Deliveries to Gaza Amid Escalating Security Concerns

With the humanitarian crisis deepening in Gaza, the UN's suspension of aid deliveries highlights the urgent need for safety and action from conflict parties.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has announced a suspension of aid deliveries through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, citing escalating security threats and incidents of theft by armed groups. Philippe Lazzarini, the agency’s head, reported that two recent convoys were looted, prompting concerns for the safety of aid workers and the vulnerability of aid recipients in the region. He urged Israeli authorities to restore order to safeguard ongoing humanitarian efforts.

Kerem Shalom serves as the primary route for delivering critical supplies to over 2 million people in Gaza, who are facing severe food shortages and the risk of famine, according to UN assessments. The situation has increasingly deteriorated due to violent thefts from aid convoys, with the most recent incident occurring on November 16, when a convoy of 109 trucks was ambushed by gunmen who stole nearly all of them. Local criminal factions, alleged to be operating openly near the Israeli military, have engaged in these robberies, which aid organizations deem the top barrier to efficient aid distribution.

“Conditions have not been safe for months,” Lazzarini stated while announcing the halt of aid deliveries, citing the loss of additional aid trucks during the weekend. This decision follows the tragic deaths of three employees from World Central Kitchen, who were killed in an Israeli airstrike reportedly targeting an individual linked to the October attacks carried out by Hamas. Lazzarini emphasized that the delivery of humanitarian assistance should be free from risk, stressing that it is the responsibility of Israel to ensure the safety of aid workers.

Israel has recently opened several crossings under international pressure to facilitate the flow of aid, but Kerem Shalom remains vital for the majority of humanitarian deliveries into Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously claimed that the government allows sufficient food supplies into the territory, highlighting the dilemma posed by Hamas’s reported diversion and mishandling of resources.

In response to UNRWA's aid suspension, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories stated that other humanitarian organizations are still operational and affirmed ongoing efforts to boost the volume of aid entering through various crossings.

Reports from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, which includes UN and international charity assessments, indicate a steep decline in aid shipments during the ongoing conflict, with alarm bells ringing about a potential famine affecting all segments of Gaza. Immediate coordinated action from all involved parties is deemed essential to address this worsening humanitarian crisis.