UN in the dark over Gaza aid group deliveries

The United Nations said on Tuesday that it had no information on whether a US-backed aid group for Gaza had actually delivered any supplies inside the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

The controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which first emerged in February, announced on Monday that it had begun distributing truckloads of food in the Gaza Strip.

But the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, and UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, both told a press briefing in Geneva that they were unaware of whether any aid had actually been distributed.

“We don’t have any information,” said UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma, speaking via video-link.

“We know what’s needed, we know what’s missing, and we are very, very far from that daily target.

“The needs are 500-600 trucks at a minimum that should go into Gaza, loaded with supplies. Not only food but also medicine, medical supplies, vaccines for children, fuel, water and other basics for people’s survival.”

OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke said that the UN was not involved in the GHF aid.

The foundation has faced accusations that it is working with Israel but without Palestinian involvement.

“It is a distraction from what is actually needed, which is a reopening of all the crossings into Gaza; a secure environment within Gaza; and faster facilitation of permissions and final approvals of all the emergency supplies that we have just outside the border that need to get in,” Laerke said.

Israel recently stepped up its offensive aimed at destroying the Hamas militant group.

It drew international condemnation after implementing a blockade on March 2 that has sparked severe food and medical shortages.

Humanitarian aid has begun trickling back into the Palestinian territory in recent days after Israel lifted the 11-week-long blockade.

Laerke said there was an insufficient amount of aid entering the Palestinian territory.

Touma said no UNRWA supplies had gone in since March 2, while Laerke said he had no information on how many UN trucks had passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing, partly because Israel does not allow them to have a fixed presence there.