UN says Gaza aid group misses the point of what’s really needed
A U.N. spokeswoman said that the efforts of a private humanitarian group supported by the United States and entrusted with delivering aid in Gaza are a diversion from what is required, including the opening of crossing ports.
The controversy over aid support in Gaza in 2025 centers on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israel-backed organization that began distributing aid independently of the United Nations and traditional humanitarian agencies. This has sparked significant criticism and concern from the UN and international aid organizations.
The GHF, which was first proposed by Israel and has faced criticism from the UN and others, said Monday that it had started delivering supplies in Gaza.
This comes after an 11-week Israeli embargo that was only recently partially removed, sparking worldwide outrage and a famine warning from a global hunger monitor.
“We please refrain from engaging in this modality due to the reasons mentioned. It distracts from what is genuinely required (…),”
Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA), urged during a Geneva briefing that all crossings be reopened.
Additionally, he demanded an end to Israeli limitations on the kind of aid that might enter the enclave, claiming that these restrictions were selective and did not always correspond with requirements. Israel, which oversees the screening of all aid entering Gaza, often denies a wide range of goods it believes the Islamist organization Hamas may use for military purposes.
It claims the new method is meant to keep help away from Hamas, which it accuses of stealing and using food to control the populace. Hamas denies this accusation, claiming the system shields aid convoys from armed robbery gangs.
Juliette Touma, the communications director for the U.N. agency assisting Palestinian refugees, stated that significant medical shipments have been held back and denied entry into Gaza.
“We more than 3000 trucks loaded with food and medicine are currently lined up in locations such as Jordan and Egypt, awaiting the green light to enter, with some of the medicines on board nearing expiration soon,”
she said.
The controversy unfolds amid intense Israeli military operations in Gaza, with over 54,000 reported deaths and massive displacement. The UN and international community have condemned Israeli airstrikes on civilian sites and called for humanitarian access to prevent famine and further suffering.
The UN and international humanitarian actors strongly criticize the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s aid program for undermining established humanitarian norms and potentially serving political and military objectives. The controversy highlights the severe challenges of delivering impartial aid in the context of ongoing conflict, blockade, and displacement in Gaza. The UN insists that only fully neutral, large-scale humanitarian operations with open border access can adequately address the dire needs of Gaza’s population.
