UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini has been vocal on the efforts of the organization's front line staff during the ongoing war.
The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) recently reported a shocking figure: Nearly 360 UNRWA employees have reportedly died in Gaza since the Israeli army started its campaign on the blockaded enclave in October 2023 post the Hamas terrorist attack on . The number displays not just the ferocity of the ongoing war which has entered its 23rd month, but also the grievous nature of humanitarian work in what UN officials keep referring to as a "war zone like no other".
Ground realities in Gaza are characterized by uninterrupted violence, starvation, and large-scale displacement. Latest UN reports indicate that more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 150,000 have been injured since the war started. Starvation is widespread, with UN experts pointing to more than 500,000 people being at risk of imminent famine and all 320,000 children under the age of five being at risk of acute malnutrition. Aid delivery continues to be hazardous and heavily limited: UNRWA facilities have experienced close to 900 incidents related to the conflict, and over 845 Palestinian non-combatants taking refuge in these centers have been reported to have been killed. Movement for aid convoys is frequently blocked – in early August, slightly more than a majority of scheduled humanitarian operations were allowed, while others were refused or obstructed by continuing hostilities.
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Following constant attacks by Hamas, Israel has maintained a campaign of ground invasions and airstrikes. The Israeli military has widened operations, with the government signing off on plans for a full military "occupation" of Gaza City and, possibly, the entire Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently confirmed Israel's desire to have security control in Gaza, though he did not indicate permanent occupation.
Israel has used the presence of militants, including Hamas commanders, within civilian populations as an excuse for its aggressive measures. However, global pressure grows, particularly given allegations that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war—a war crime under international law, as claimed by a number of UN experts. Legislation prohibiting Israeli collaboration with UNRWA has also hindered relief operations, not only interfering with delivery of aid but also the unobstructed movement and security of 17,000 UNRWA employees.
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International outcry intensified over both the magnitude of destruction and targeting of humanitarian workers. UN officials emphasize that starvation and civilian deaths are wholly predictable repercussions of limiting impartial humanitarian access, and they have called for the immediate restoration of the UN-led humanitarian system in Gaza. Human rights organizations caution that continued Israeli advance in Gaza will most probably wreak "devastating tolls" on a population already forced to the edge.
The fatalities of several hundred UNRWA employees painfully demonstrate the breakdown of security for those who try to support Gaza's battered population, and pose pressing questions regarding accountability and the future of humanitarian aid in the face of relentless conflict.
