Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), said Israel’s airdropping aid in Gaza will do nothing to help the starving Population in the occupied territory. The official dismissed the tactic as ineffective and urged Israel to lift its blockade of the densely populated enclave.
He made these remarks after the UN’s food aid programme reported that 90,000 Palestinian women and children were suffering from extreme malnutrition. Lazzarini, in his post on X on Saturday, said, “Gaza airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation. They are expensive, inefficient, and can even kill starving civilians. It is a distraction and screen smoke.”
He called on the Israeli side to “lift the siege” and guarantee safe access for the aid workers. “At UNRWA, we have the equivalent of 6,000 trucks in Jordan and Egypt waiting for the green light to get into Gaza,” he wrote.
He added, “Driving aid through is much easier, more effective, faster, cheaper, and safer. It’s more dignified for people of Gaza.” The Israeli defence forces (IDF) said on Saturday that it had dropped seven pallets containing flour, sugar, canned food, and other supplies.
The army has pledged to provide safe passage for UN aid convoys and said “local humanitarian pauses” could be implemented. A video posted on social media shows desperate Gazans fighting over the food.
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