[News] UNRWA and UNICEF Warn of Humanitarian Breakdown as Israel Blocks Aid to Gaza

[Anti-Imperialist News]

palestinechronicle.com 
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/unrwa-and-unicef-warn-of-humanitarian-breakdown-as-israel-blocks-aid-to-gaza/> 



  UNRWA and UNICEF Warn of Humanitarian Breakdown as Israel Blocks Aid
  to Gaza

October 25, 2025
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Israel has decided to block all aid to Gaza. (Photo: via UNRWA)

*By Palestine Chronicle Staff 
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/palestine-chronicle-staff>*


          UNRWA, UNICEF, and local officials warn of a worsening
          humanitarian crisis in Gaza as Israel continues to block
          essential aid, defying international rulings and leaving
          millions without shelter, water, or medical care.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees 
(UNRWA) has warned that Israel continues to block the entry of essential 
humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip, including materials urgently 
needed for shelter and heating as winter approaches.

“As winter approaches in Gaza, people are increasingly in need of 
shelter and warmth,” the agency said in a statement on Saturday.

“Shelter and winter materials meant for displaced families are sitting 
in UNRWA warehouses in Jordan and Egypt, blocked from entry,” it added.

UNRWA reiterated that it possesses the necessary relief supplies but has 
been denied permission to deliver them to Gaza. The agency emphasized 
that it must be allowed to resume its work in the Strip, stressing that 
Israel’s restrictions remain in place despite the International Court of 
Justice’s ruling last week affirming that no organization can replace 
UNRWA in supporting Palestinian refugees.

Dr. Mohammed Abu Afash, director of the Medical Relief Society in Gaza 
City, said that primary healthcare services remain paralyzed due to 
severe shortages of supplies and equipment.

“We were hoping to bring in what the health sector needs, but the 
suffering continues,” he told Al-Jazeera. He added that mobile clinics 
and field hospitals are urgently needed, calling for policies to support 
the rehabilitation of Gaza’s population—especially children—two years 
after what he described as Israel’s war of extermination.

The Gaza Municipality appealed to international and humanitarian bodies 
to act swiftly to address the worsening crisis as Israel continues to 
seal off vital crossings, particularly in the north.

“Everything that has been done so far in the Gaza Strip is merely 
emergency measures,” said Asem al-Nabih, the municipality’s 
spokesperson. He noted that municipal authorities had prepared a 
detailed list of urgent needs and coordinated plans for 
implementation—if the crossings were opened.

For its part, UNICEF has warned that Gaza’s water, sanitation, and 
hygiene sectors are facing catastrophic conditions. The agency noted 
that many families are still receiving far less than the minimum daily 
amount of clean water considered essential for survival, describing the 
overall situation as “critically desperate.”

It said its ongoing work with partner organizations has so far prevented 
a complete collapse of the water and sanitation system.

A ceasefire agreement reached in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 9, 
brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey with US participation, has failed 
to halt Israeli violations. Despite the accord, Israel continues to bomb 
the Gaza Strip and keeps the Rafah Crossing closed, leaving hundreds of 
aid trucks stranded on the Egyptian side.

/(PC, AJA)/

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