Tag: Humanitarian aid

“Once again, nearly half of the population of Rafah or 800,000 people are on the road,” Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote in post on the social media platform X. formerly Twitter.

He said that following evacuation orders demanding people to flee to so-called safe zones, people mainly went to the middle areas in Gaza and Khan Younis, including to destroyed buildings.

No safe passage or protection

“When people move, they are exposed, without safe passage or protection,” he said. “Every time, they have to start from scratch, all over again.”

Mr. Lazzarini said the areas that people have escaped to do not have safe water supplies or sanitation facilities.

He cited the example of Al-Mawassi, describing it as “a sandy 14 square kilometre agricultural land, where people are left out in the open with little to no buildings or roads.”

The town, located on Gaza’s southern coast, “lacks the minimal conditions to provide emergency humanitarian assistance in a safe and dignified manner.”

He said that more than 400,000 lived in Al-Mawassi before the recent escalation, but now it is “crammed and cannot absorb more people”, which is also the same in Deir al Balah.

‘No place is safe’

“The claim that people in Gaza can move to ‘safe’ or ‘humanitarian’ zones is false. Each time, it puts the lives of civilians at serious risk,” Mr. Lazzarini stated.

“Gaza does not have any safe zones,” he added. “No place is safe. No one is safe.”

The situation is again being made far worse by the lack of aid and basic humanitarian supplies, he continued, noting that humanitarians do not have any more supplies to give out, including food and other basic items.

Meanwhile, key crossings into Gaza remain closed or are unsafe to access as they are located near or in combat zones. Mr. Lazzarini also highlighted the critical need for fuel, which is essential for aid distribution.

Land routes crucial

He said only 33 aid trucks have made it to southern Gaza since 6 May – “a small trickle amid the growing humanitarian needs and mass displacement.”

“While we welcome reports on first shipments arriving at the new floating dock, land routes remain the most viable, effective, efficient and safest aid delivery method,” he said.

Earlier on Saturday, the UN Spokesperson’s Office said the World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed that 10 truckloads of food were transported to its warehouse the previous day via the floating dock, which was installed by the United States military.

“Some of the shipment included high-energy biscuits for WFP to distribute, but there were also commodities for other humanitarian partners to distribute, which included rice, pasta, and lentils,” the note said.

Mr. Lazzarini emphasized that the land crossings into Gaza must re-open and be safe to access. ”Without the re-opening of these routes, the deprivation of assistance and catastrophic humanitarian conditions will persist,” he said.

Ceasefire now

He underlined the obligations of the parties to the conflict, starting with rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need, wherever they are located.

“The displaced population must have access to basic survival items, including food, water, and shelter, as well as hygiene, health, assistance and above all safety,” he said.

Humanitarian relief teams also need safe and free movement to access people in need, and protection wherever they may be, and the parties are also obligated to protect civilians and civilian objects everywhere.

“Above all, it is time to agree on a ceasefire,” he concluded.

“Any further escalation in the fighting will only wreak more havoc on civilians and make it impossible to finally have the peace and stability that Israelis and Palestinians desperately need and deserve.”

March marks the thirteenth anniversary of the conflict in Syria, with systematic atrocities and untold suffering of civilians.

According to UN estimates, 16.7 million people, equivalent to 70 per cent of the total population, will require humanitarian assistance in 2024. Roughly half the pre-war population remains displaced inside or outside Syria.

Compounding the crisis, a series of earthquakes struck the country’s north in February last year, claiming nearly 5,900 lives, severely damaging infrastructure, and exacerbating the vulnerability of millions already struggling to meet their basic needs.

Entire communities are struggling to survive, as humanitarian funding has dropped to an all-time low. In 2023, for instance, only $2.02 billion or 37.4 per cent – was received against the $5.41 billion required for UN-led humanitarian efforts.

‘Do all that is necessary’

In a statement, Secretary-General António Guterres urged all stakeholders to “do all that is necessary to reach a genuine and credible political solution”.

A solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, restores the country’s sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015) and create the conditions necessary for the voluntary return of refugees in safety and dignity, he said.

Protect civilians

“We need civilians and civilian infrastructure to be protected,” the UN chief emphasized.

Alongside, he also called for a strategic approach to countering terrorism, in line with international law; sustained and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Syria; and urgent and adequate funding to sustain critical aid operations.

“It is long past time for key parties to step up and meet these needs. An entire generation of Syrians has already paid too high a price,” he added.

End impunity

Mr. Guterres also highlighted that arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, sexual and gender-based violence, torture, and other violations continue and pose an obstacle to sustainable peace in Syria.

“We all have a responsibility to end impunity,” he said.

“Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Syrian victims, survivors and their family members count on it.”

“I endured the artillery’s roar, the fire in the nursery, yet I stand tall,” read the lyrics. “I weathered the paralyzing fear under the covers, felt everyone turn their backs, yet I stand tall.”
When he wrote the song in October, shortly after the war began, Marwán, whose father grew up in UNRWA tents in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, decided to donate the rights to raise donations for the Spanish committee of UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian Refugees.

“UNRWA is the lifeline that sustained my father since birth. He was born in a refugee camp and attended an UNRWA school, where he received all his education until he was 18. It’s always been there for him, providing food, support, education,” he explains in an interview with Beatriz Barral from UN News. “They continue to support millions of Palestinians, all Gazans, and it was the least I could do. Without a political solution, there’s little more we can do than rally and offer our help”.

The “Urgent Lullaby for Palestine” addresses “brutal injustices and the deprivation of rights,” the “neglect Palestinians face from the international community,” yet it repeats in each verse: they endure.

“Despite the neglect, the abandonment, the bombings, the atrocities inflicted on children, the deaths… I want to spotlight Palestinian resilience, their ability to keep going, even in dire conditions,” he explains.

Marwán has visited the West Bank several times, where distant relatives of his father still reside. He even recorded a song in front of what was his father’s school in Tulkarm.

Asked about accusations against UNRWA, Marwán expresses deep sorrow. “To label UNRWA as problematic or supportive of terrorism is utterly unprecedented and nonsensical. It solely strives to aid people in the direst circumstances and bring dignity to Palestinian lives time and time again. That’s all that concerns me. I’m focused on supporting UNRWA. Regardless of criticism directed at me for aligning with UNRWA, or criticism against UNRWA itself, it doesn’t faze me. I march on, saddened by the lack of support, by governments withdrawing aid, but we press on,” he says.

Marwán urges anyone hesitant to donate to UNRWA to “thoroughly research what’s happening in Palestine.”

“Learn about UNRWA’s work since 1948, which has been impeccable and significant. I would urge them to consider that a genocide is occurring, and that Palestinians truly rely solely on UNRWA. It’s as straightforward as that. They have nothing else, but the funds received through UNRWA,” he argues.

The suspension of funds to UNRWA is “an appalling disgrace”

Presenting the song at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid on Tuesday, with Spain’s Minister for Youth and Childhood Sira Rego in attendance, Marwán described the suspension of funds as “heartbreaking.” This comes after Israel accused several workers of involvement in the October 7 attacks, that left 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage, despite UNRWA firing the employees and launching an investigation.

With his song, he hopes to prevent the Gaza war from fading into obscurity.

“In Palestine, human rights violations occur daily We’re not talking about a conventional war between two countries, one defending itself against the other”, he says.

“I only place faith in international judicial intervention”

Marwán is appalled by what he terms “flagrant violations of international law.”

“After World War II, international legal mechanisms were established to prevent such atrocities, yet people are circumventing international laws. Even the countries that talk the most about defending human rights are the ones that are most supporting this, but they are the countries that have the most power in the UN because they have the right to veto [in the UN Security Council],” he laments.

The artist sharply criticizes the media coverage of the war, requiring individuals to seek information “via Twitter, through accounts of Palestinian journalists, or on Instagram.”

“We’re allowing a genocide to happen in prime time, with journalism aiding the perpetrators. It’s hard to comprehend. It’s because there are vested interests. There’s no other explanation than Western self-interest. There cannot be any other explanation,” he says.

Marwán believes a solution and a peaceful future can only be achieved through “international judicial intervention.” “It’s the only beacon of hope right now,” he concludes.

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed by the interviewee are his own and do not represent the position of the United Nations Organization.