UNRWA warns: Gaza residents are living among the rubble in unsafe shelters

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, stated that three months after the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, there has been no tangible improvement in meeting the needs of the population.

Lazzarini emphasized that the level of aid provided remains insufficient to address the escalating humanitarian crisis.

He explained that while food aid has reached the Strip, non-food assistance remains extremely scarce. He noted that thousands of families are living among the rubble of their homes or in unsafe temporary shelters, where tents lack even the most basic protection, especially in the cold weather.

He added that the people of Gaza are deprived of most of their basic needs, and that harsh weather conditions are exacerbating their suffering after a devastating war that lasted nearly two years, marked by widespread destruction and forced displacement affecting the majority of the population.

He stressed that the current humanitarian response falls far short of the actual needs.

Regarding the education sector, Lazzarini emphasized that education is a top priority for UNRWA, noting that more than 60,000 children have returned to in-person learning, in addition to providing distance education for over 280,000 children. However, he pointed out that these figures are still far from meeting the enormous educational needs in the Gaza Strip.

The Commissioner-General also addressed the financial crisis facing the agency, explaining that the United States has frozen its funding to UNRWA since February 2024 following accusations against some of its staff, which has negatively impacted the agency’s ability to implement its humanitarian programs.

Since October 7, 2023, the occupying forces, with American and European support, have committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, including killing, starvation, destruction, displacement, and arrests, ignoring international appeals and orders from the International Court of Justice to cease their actions.