The situation in Rafah — a city housing around 1.3 million Palestinians — has reached a critical juncture as Israel’s military operations against Hamas continue to disrupt humanitarian aid efforts. In response, The United Nation’s World Food Program (WFP) issued a warning on Friday, May 10, saying that the group has only a few days’ worth of food and fuel left, which could grind aid delivery efforts to a halt.
The lack of aid delivery is made worse by the ongoing fighting in the region, preventing essential supplies from reaching the warehouses in Rafah, where most international aid organizations operate and where most supplies are delivered.
Warehouses in Rafah are nearly empty. UNICEF has sounded the alarm, warning that the shortage of humanitarian aid could cause more Gazans to die of starvation.
“For five days, no fuel and virtually no humanitarian aid has entered the Gaza Strip, and we are scraping the bottom of the barrel,” a UNICEF spokesperson told Reuters.
On Friday, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced the delivery of 200,000 liters of fuel to Gaza. This fuel supply will be used for generators in hospitals, logistical centers and trucks responsible for aid distribution.
Access to fuel has been hard to come by since Israel seized control of the Rafah crossing with Egypt. The ongoing battles between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants have rendered the crossing inaccessible for aid deliveries and medical evacuations.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of stealing aid meant for the people of Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began. Recently, the terror group reportedly hijacked an aid shipment from Jordan. The U.S. State Department said it was the “first widespread case of hijacking seen” in Gaza, adding that the goods were recovered when Hamas militants finally let the aid trucks move on.
Pro-Israel protesters have also attempted to block aid shipments to Gaza, claiming that the aid is going to Hamas.
“The government of Israel and the international support want to give a lot of supplies to the murderers to keep them fighting,” Jonathan Godeles, a protester, said. “There is no other place in the world that one side gives the supply to the other side. It’s crazy, it’s nuts.”
The U.N. said that nearby battles have caused more than 100,000 people to flee parts of Rafah, with an estimated 30,000 people leaving daily. The agency said it has no tents, blankets or bedding for those fleeing.
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, more aid is on the way to Gaza in a ship heading to a new U.S.-built pier in the region. Meanwhile, the U.N. said “full-blown famine” is underway in parts of Gaza.
