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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Food aid for 1.1Mln Gazans blocked by 'Israel' at crossing: UN</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Al Mayadeen English</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">February 10, 2024<br></div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>The
UN agency for Palestinian refugees notes that 1,049 containers of rice,
flour, chickpeas, sugar and cooking oil have been blocked by the
Israeli army. </p><img src="cid:ii_lsgmkrj50" alt="13c871c9-1584-43bd-a0cc-bdc4cab1064c.jpg" width="391" height="261"><br><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
Humanitarian aid trucks enter the Gaza Strip from the
occupied territories through the "Kerem Shalom" crossing in Rafah on
Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024 (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)
</li></div></ul>
<p>The UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA (UNRWA) on Saturday reported
that "Israel" blocked a food shipment meant for 1.1 million people in
Gaza.</p>
<p>"A food shipment for 1.1 million people is stuck at an Israeli port
due to recent restrictions from Israeli authorities. 1,049 containers of
rice, flour, chickpeas, sugar & cooking oil are stuck as families
in Gaza face hunger and starvation," the organization wrote in a post on
social media.</p>
<p>UNRWA stated this week that "Israel" has rejected half of its aid
mission requests to northern Gaza this year, alleging the involvement of
some UNRWA staff in the October 7 operation.</p>
<p><a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/unrwa-chief-admits-to-terminating-staff-without-probing-isra">Earlier in the day</a>,
the head of the UN agency Philippe Lazzarini admitted to employing a
"reverse due process" approach in dismissing the nine staff members
accused by "Israel".</p>
<p>He acknowledged that the employees were terminated before
investigating "Israel's" accusations against them and prior to the
initiation of any investigation.</p>
<p>During a press conference in al-Quds, when asked about examining
evidence against the employees, Lazzarini responded, "No, the
investigation is going on now."</p>
<p>He characterized the decision as “reverse due process," adding, “I
could have suspended them, but I have fired them. And now I have an
investigation, and if the investigation tells us that this was wrong, in
that case at the UN we will take a decision on how to properly
compensate [them].”</p>
<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/unrwa-funding-suspension--catastrophic--for-gaza--heads-of-u">UNRWA funding suspension 'catastrophic' for Gaza: Heads of UN agencies</a></strong></p>
<p>Lazzarini explained that he took an "exceptional and swift decision"
to terminate the contracts of the staff members based on the highly
sensitive nature of the accusations. He emphasized that the agency was
under intense scrutiny and criticism, facing "fierce and ugly attacks"
while actively delivering aid to almost 2 million Palestinians in the
Gaza Strip.</p>
<p>"Indeed, I have terminated without due process because I felt at the
time that not only the reputation but the ability of the entire agency
to continue to operate and deliver critical humanitarian assistance was
at stake if I did not take such a decision," he said.</p>
<p>"My judgment, based on this going public, true or untrue, was I need
to take the swiftest and boldest decision to show that as an agency we
take this allegation seriously," he added.</p>
<h2>'Gaza is a massive human rights crisis and a humanitarian disaster'</h2>
<p>The United Nations has lately warned that “Gaza is a massive human rights crisis and a humanitarian disaster."</p>
<p>Out of a population of 2.3 million, a staggering 1.9 million people
have been displaced, creating an environment where there is no haven, it
added.</p>
<p>Relentless bombardments by the IOF persist in both the north and the
south, particularly in Khan Younis. Compounding the crisis is a severe
shortage of essential supplies such as food, water, medicines, tents,
and other necessities amid the cold weather.</p>
<p>The existing shelters are overcrowded, and sanitary conditions are
appalling, the report added. In areas like Rafah and Khan Younis, sewage
is flowing uncontrollably, creating a potential breeding ground for
epidemics—"a ticking time bomb" for a health catastrophe, as per the UN.</p></div></div></div>
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