UN’s Struggle to Deliver Aid Amid Israeli Evacuation Orders in Gaza

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a critical juncture as the United Nations (UN) faces increasing challenges in delivering aid to the besieged enclave. On Monday, a senior UN official highlighted the severity of the situation, stating that humanitarian efforts had come to a standstill due to new Israeli evacuation orders, which forced the shutdown of the UN’s main operations center in Gaza.

This disruption has significantly impacted the UN’s ability to deliver aid in Gaza, where the population is already facing extreme hardship. The conflict, which has driven nearly all 2.3 million residents from their homes, has created a dire situation marked by widespread hunger, disease, and the deaths of at least 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Operational Challenges Amid Ongoing Conflict

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric addressed the situation on Tuesday, offering a more tempered view of the circumstances. When asked if the conditions in Gaza had caused a halt to UN aid deliveries, Dujarric admitted that the situation had made it “extremely, extremely difficult” for the UN to continue its work. However, he emphasized that the UN is committed to doing what it can with the resources available.

“We are doing what we can with what we have,” Dujarric said. “This is aid delivery by seizing every opportunity, seizing every crack that we can fill. So every situation is assessed day by day, hour by hour.”

The operational hub of the UN in Gaza has now been evacuated for the second time since the war began. Initially located in Rafah in southern Gaza, the hub was relocated to Deir el-Balah in central Gaza following an Israeli ground invasion. However, an evacuation order issued on Sunday necessitated another move, further complicating the UN’s efforts.

Impact on Humanitarian Operations

The latest evacuation orders have significantly disrupted the UN’s ability to provide essential aid. A spokesperson for the UN emergency aid organization, OCHA, reported that since Friday, evacuation orders have been issued for 19 neighborhoods in the northern Gaza Strip and Deir el-Balah. This has affected 15 premises where UN and NGO staff and their families lived, along with four UN warehouses for relief supplies, a water reservoir, a desalination plant, three wells, two smaller health facilities, and a hospital.

The timing of these evacuation orders has added to the challenges faced by the UN. UN safety and security chief Gilles Michaud noted that the Israeli military gave only a few hours’ notice for more than 200 UN personnel to vacate their offices and living spaces in Deir el-Balah. This came at a particularly inopportune time, as a large-scale polio vaccination campaign was set to begin, requiring a significant UN presence in Gaza.

“The timing could hardly be worse,” Michaud said in a statement. Despite these challenges, he reiterated the UN’s commitment to staying in Gaza, describing the continuation of humanitarian aid delivery as “a tremendous feat” given the intolerable risks involved. However, he also highlighted the mass evacuation orders as just one of many threats to UN and humanitarian personnel operating in the region.

Global Response and Calls for Protection

The international community has expressed concern over the impact of the Israeli evacuation orders on humanitarian operations in Gaza. The International Rescue Committee, among other organizations, has been forced to halt its aid operations in the area. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the organization emphasized the urgency of allowing humanitarian actors to continue their work without the threat of displacement or military operations. They urged all parties involved in the conflict to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access at all times.

The situation in Gaza remains critical, with the population suffering from the effects of the ongoing conflict. The UN and other humanitarian organizations are doing everything within their power to deliver aid under increasingly difficult circumstances. However, without a resolution to the conflict and assurances of safety for aid workers, the delivery of essential services and supplies remains at severe risk.