
With warehouses emptied and crossings sealed, Gaza faces a devastating famine as UNRWA warns the humanitarian system itself is collapsing.
Adnan Abu Hasna, media advisor to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stated that the situation in Gaza has moved beyond disaster levels, with UNRWA’s warehouses now completely depleted of food.
He emphasized that Israel is preventing the entry of even a single bottle of water or vaccine to save a child’s life.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Abu Hasna explained that UNRWA—the largest humanitarian organization operating in Gaza—no longer has any supplies to distribute. The same is true for the World Food Program, whose resources have also been exhausted.
Abu Hasna described the situation as critical, with tens of thousands facing starvation, and said that horrifying scenes of widespread hunger are now visible across most areas of the Strip.
In the past two days, several humanitarian organizations have confirmed the complete depletion of food stocks in Gaza.
Bakeries have shut down due to the lack of flour and cooking fuel. Oxfam’s Humanitarian Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Ruth James, reported that Oxfam, along with other organizations, has repeatedly called for the reopening of crossings to avert famine and an unfolding humanitarian disaster.
Humanitarian Collapse
Abu Hasna detailed the worsening conditions in Gaza, noting that 95% of the population had already relied on humanitarian assistance for their daily survival even before this crisis.
He said that UNRWA had been operating soup kitchens and food banks, but with all supplies now exhausted, Gaza is facing a full-scale humanitarian tragedy.
Founded in 1949, UNRWA serves approximately 5.9 million Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the occupied West Bank, and Gaza.
Abu Hasna stressed that for the first time in the agency’s history, it is nearing a second month with no humanitarian supplies entering Gaza.
“In the past, debates centered on the number of trucks—whether 80 or 120 trucks would be allowed in,” he said. “Today, Israel is blocking everything: food, medicine, fuel, water, even critical vaccines against diseases like polio and cholera.”
He added that these unprecedented restrictions have worsened an already catastrophic situation, with most people now forced to drink unsafe water.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has closed all crossings and blocked the entry of humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza. Last Friday, the Palestinian Resistance Movement (Hamas) warned that the humanitarian disaster created by the Israeli occupation had escalated to dangerous levels, with the people of Gaza now facing actual famine.
International Appeals Ignored
When asked about international efforts to save Gaza’s 2.5 million residents, Abu Hasna said, “Despite continued international calls and pressure, there has been no meaningful action on the ground. Israel continues to ignore all appeals to open the crossings and allow life-saving aid in.”
As for UNRWA’s role, Abu Hasna emphasized that the crisis has moved beyond the agency or even the UN itself, saying, “The entire global system is now being tested.” He warned that the situation represents a collapse of the values and principles upon which the United Nations was built after World War II.
“We are witnessing a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, as not even a bottle of water or a vaccine can be forced into Gaza,” he said.
A Critical Moment for the World
Abu Hasna described the moment as a crucial test not just for Gaza, but for the entire international community. “If the world fails to act to uphold basic human rights and save millions in Gaza, we will have lost the very foundations of the humanitarian system we claim to operate under,” he said.
He concluded by stressing, “The responsibility now lies with the international community. Urgent, forceful action is needed to ensure the entry of essential supplies. Lives are at immediate risk, and famine is not a looming threat—it is already here, and we are witnessing its deadly consequences every day.”
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue their military assault on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed, approximately 118,000 have been injured, and an unknown number remain trapped under the rubble of their homes, unreachable by rescue teams.
(PC, AJA)
These zionazis can not hide behind the pity of the Holocaust, scream about antisemitism, or claim Judaism as their faith. They are as wicked as any regime that has ever existed. How can the rest of the world turn their backs on the Palestinian people, who have suffered so much for decades at the hands of these Eastern European murderers and thieves?? And now this for the last 19 months? Where is humanity? Where is the Arab brotherhood? I hate my own country and israhell for being partners in this humanitarian crime of my lifetime!!