UN: Aid airdrops over Gaza 'ineffective'

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The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Saturday that the resumption of airdrops of humanitarian aid over Gaza was an ineffective measure in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian territory.

"Airdrops won't end the worsening famine. They're expensive, ineffective, and could even kill starving civilians," wrote Philippe Lazzarini, who heads the agency, which has a strong presence in the Gaza Strip.

On Friday, an Israeli official told AFP that humanitarian aid airdrops would resume quickly in the Gaza Strip, specifying that the United Arab Emirates and Jordan would pilot those airdrops.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated, with international organizations warning of an increase in child malnutrition.

“A man-made famine can only be resolved through political will,” Lazzarini said.

Without criticizing Israel, he called for the UN to intervene “on a large scale and without obstacles” in Gaza.

Israel, which has been fighting the Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza since October 2023, faces growing international pressure regarding the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory. In late May, it partially eased a complete blockade imposed in early March, which had caused severe shortages of food, medicine, and other essential goods.

In a statement released Friday, the Israeli military said that "Israel does not limit the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip" and that "international humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies" do not collect aid once it enters Palestinian territory.

Many humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza have said for months that they face restrictions and constraints that prevent them from responding to the humanitarian crisis, such as food restrictions or heavy administrative restrictions.

However, the needs in Gaza are enormous, according to NGOs and numerous testimonies gathered by AFP on the ground.

Cogat, an Israeli Defense Ministry agency responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said Saturday that a cargo of 600 trucks was waiting to be unloaded by international organizations.

The UAE, Jordan, France and other countries participated in humanitarian aid drops over Gaza in 2024.

These operations have sometimes been criticized, mainly due to deaths caused by dropped packages, but also because they require complex logistics for a limited volume of aid.