Hundreds of others injured along food convoy routes or near Israeli 'militarized distribution hubs,' says deputy spokesman
A UN official raised alarm on Friday over the growing number of fatalities and injuries among civilians in the Gaza Strip who are being killed while trying to secure basic food supplies.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters that large numbers of people reportedly continue to be killed and injured while searching for food.
"According to our human rights colleagues, more than 100 people were killed in the past two days alone, with hundreds of others injured along food convoy routes or near Israeli militarized distribution hubs," Haq added.
OCHA reiterates that "no one should ever be forced to risk their life to find food," he added.
"Civilians must always be protected, and community-level aid delivery at scale must be facilitated, not obstructed," Haq said.
He stressed that the months-long lack of life-sustaining basic goods has deepened the crisis, which can only be addressed through "unrestricted flow of aid" into Gaza.
- UN continues to face 'impediments and danger' along routes provided by Israel
"Humanitarians must also have rapid, safe and unfettered access to deliver aid in a safe and dignified manner," he added.
Citing the OCHA, Haq said that the aid that has entered Gaza so far remains "insufficient," adding the UN team continues to face "impediments and danger" along the routes provided by the Israeli authorities.
"The routes that Israeli authorities instruct our teams to drive through remain insufficient and are often dangerous, congested or impassable," he stressed.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued an offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.
