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UN says 273 aid workers killed in Israel’s war on Gaza
On top of targeting aid seekers in Gaza, Israeli forces have also repeatedly struck humanitarian aid offices and aid convoys in its assault on Gaza.
At least 273 aid workers, most working for the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), have been killed by Israel’s attacks, making Gaza the deadliest place for aid workers.
UNRWA’s Lazzarini: ‘Little positive news’ in Gaza
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini has held a media conference in Geneva.
He says there is “little positive news” to share regarding Gaza’s humanitarian situation. Aid flow, in particular, has been strained in recent weeks, with the number of open crossings low and numerous aid trucks being looted, he said.
“We are confronted with a near total breakdown of law and order. Truck drivers [are] being regularly threatened and assaulted, and less and less are willing to move assistance from the border to our warehouses,” said Lazzarini
Meanwhile, he said more UNRWA facilities were targeted overnight, bringing the total number of its affected premises to 190. These attacks deprive Palestinians seeking shelter there of what little protection remains in the enclave, he added.
Ten children in Gaza losing legs every day: UNRWA
An average of 10 children per day are losing one or both of their legs due to attacks in Gaza, the UNRWA’s Lazzarini has told reporters in Geneva. Lazzarini said the figures, sourced from the UN children’s agency UNICEF, do not include children who have lost their hands or arms.
On top of the thousands of children killed and injured during the war, more than 21,000 are also estimated to be missing, according to humanitarian organisation Save the Children. Many of them are trapped under rubble, detained, buried in unmarked graves, or separated from their loved ones, the organisation says.
UN agency for Palestinian refugees has funding until August, agency chief says
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has underlined the funding gap, saying the agency has a budget until the end of August.
Philippe Lazzarini told a news conference in Geneva that he is referring to the regular budget, which is the “backbone” of the organisation that covers 30,000 staff. “We have the cash until the end of August, and basically, we still have a shortfall of about $100-140m to reach the end of the year,” Lazzarini said.
Regarding the funding of emergency appeals, he said that the appeal on the occupied Palestinian territory is funded by 15-18 percent, while the appeal on Syria is about 15 percent funded.
“These two appeals are significantly underfunded, which prevents us, for example, from doing cash distribution or food distribution in Syria and Lebanon and in Gaza,” he said.
Gaza entering ‘most critical humanitarian phase’, OIC warns
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has warned that Gaza is “entering its most critical humanitarian phase” since the start of the war.
OIC said in a statement 70 percent of Gaza’s urban infrastructure has been destroyed, making most areas of Gaza uninhabitable. The entry of limited quantities of humanitarian aid, fuel, and water is preventing any recovery, it said, adding that Israeli forces refuse to cease military operations.
