Why in News?

Around 50 people were shot and injured in Rafah recently as thousands of Palestinians crowded a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site amid severe food shortages.

Gaza had faced a total blockade for nearly three months. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has distanced itself from GHF, and the NGO’s head, Jake Wood, resigned on May 25, citing violations of humanitarian principles.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Famine Looms Over Gaza: A Human-Made Crisis
• Gaza Aid Still Far Below Minimum Needs
• Legal Ban on UNRWA Disrupts Critical Services
• UNRWA’s Ongoing Role in Gaza
• India’s Potential Role in Gaza Crisis

Famine Looms Over Gaza: A Human-Made Crisis

• Since the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report on May 12, conditions in Gaza have deteriorated rapidly.
  • IPC is a global, multi-stakeholder initiative that provides a framework for analyzing and classifying the severity and magnitude of food insecurity and malnutrition. 
  • It involves governments, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society, and other relevant actors working together. 
• Impact of the Ceasefire and Blockade
  • During the January 19–March 18 ceasefire, aid was scaled up to minimal acceptable levels, temporarily easing hunger.
  • However, following the ceasefire’s collapse and the renewed blockade, aid deliveries stopped for nearly 11 weeks, pushing Gaza into acute food insecurity.
• Violation of International Law
  • The denial of food aid violates international humanitarian law, specifically Article 54 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits starvation as a method of warfare.
  • Using food as leverage for political or military gains is unlawful.

Gaza Aid Still Far Below Minimum Needs

• Recently, Israel reported that 665 aid trucks had entered Gaza. However, the UN World Food Programme deemed this a "drop in the bucket."
• Gaza requires a minimum of 500–600 aid trucks per day to meet survival needs. Confusion persists about how many trucks actually reach civilians, with past inspection rules forcing trucks to be half-empty, possibly still in practice.
• Why the UN and NGOs Rejected GHF’s Aid Model
  • UN and aid agencies refuse to partner with the GHF because its collection-point model violates key humanitarian principles—humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
  • Aid must reach all in need, including the disabled and immobile, not just those who can travel to distribution hubs.
• Risks of Forced Displacement
  • Restricting aid to certain locations encourages further displacement.
  • Already, Gazans have been displaced once a month on average since the war began, often to so-called "safe zones" that are unsafe in reality.
  • This approach undermines both aid access and human dignity.

Legal Ban on UNRWA Disrupts Critical Services

• Two Israeli laws enacted in October 2024, effective from January 2025, have severely disrupted UNRWA’s operations, particularly in East Jerusalem and across the Palestinian territories.
• Impact in East Jerusalem
  • UNRWA was prohibited from operating in what Israel considers its sovereign territory, including East Jerusalem, which international law views as occupied.
  • As a result:
    • Visas of international staff were curtailed
    • UNRWA’s facilities were vacated
    • Schools were forcibly closed, affecting around 800 students
    • There is a looming threat of clinic closures, impacting over 70,000 Palestinians
• Operational Breakdown in West Bank and Gaza
  • A second law barred all direct contact between UNRWA and Israeli officials, dismantling vital coordination systems.

UNRWA’s Ongoing Role in Gaza

• UNRWA remains fully operational in Gaza, as the Israeli legal ban applies only to Israel’s sovereign territories.
• It is the largest humanitarian agency in the Strip, with 12,000 staff members, compared to just 300 across the rest of the UN system.
• Key Services Provided
  • Logistics & Aid Distribution: Operates warehouses and manages a wide aid distribution network.
  • Mobile Healthcare: UNRWA staff provide tent-to-tent medical services and have established mobile healthcare points.
  • Education & Psychosocial Support: Over 20,000 children participate in the ‘Back to Learning’ initiative offering basic education, play, and psychological care.
  • Sanitation: Labourers clean refugee camps and collect waste, though UNRWA does not manage the camps, only services them.
• Accountability & Neutrality Measures
  • UNRWA maintains strict neutrality protocols.
  • Allegations are addressed through internal disciplinary action.
  • Of 19 staff members accused by Israel in 2023, UNRWA suspended all immediately, and UN oversight took charge of investigations.
  • Evidence was scarce, but nine terminations were upheld based on a balance of probability, though no specific breaches were clearly substantiated.

India’s Potential Role in Gaza Crisis

• Countries like India, which support multilateralism, can play a vital role by advocating for international law and ensuring that the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the UN General Assembly are upheld in Gaza.
• While multilateralism is not flawless, it remains the best available system to maintain global order. Undermining it would lead to a more dangerous world.