Israel still prevents food convoys from reaching north of Gaza: UNRWA

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) says Israel continues to prevent its food convoys from reaching the north of the Gaza Strip, where food supplies are "a matter of life and death."

UNRWA, wrote in a post on X on Tuesday that the agency needs “safe & unimpeded access” to the areas in the north of the besieged strip.

“Food supplies are a matter of life & death,” in the north of Gaza, it said.

It also said four bakeries are reopened in northern Gaza thanks to “critical” support of World Food Program (WFP).

“But this is a drop in the ocean – and Israeli Authorities continue to prevent UNRWA’s food convoys from reaching the north.”

Last week, UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini warned that across the Gaza Strip, "a man-made famine is tightening its grip.”

In late January, the United States, Britain and other some other major donor parties pulled their funding for UNRWA over claims that the agency’s staffers were involved in Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against Israel on October 7, 2023.

In the weeks that followed, donor states suspended or paused some $450 million in funding.

However, an independent review on the agency’s activities in Gaza said Monday that "Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence" for its claim.

Palestinians across Gaza face 'man-made famine’: UNRWA

UNRWA has warned that a ‘man-made’ famine is tightening its grip across the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Following the report, Norway which continues to support Palestinians through the agency, urged countries to fund the UNRWA.

“I would now like to call on countries that have still frozen their contributions to UNRWA to resume funding," said Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.

Norway heads an international aid group for Palestinians, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee.

European commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic also welcomed the report for "underlining the agency's significant number of compliance systems in place as well as recommendations for their further upgrade."

"I call on the donors to support UNRWA – the Palestinian refugees' lifeline," he wrote on X.

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