UN Officials Collapse From Starvation Amid Gaza Humanitarian Crisis

A deepening humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Gaza, where relief workers, doctors, and U.N. agency staff are reportedly collapsing on duty from extreme hunger and physical exhaustion.

The United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees confirmed that it had received numerous distress alerts from its personnel in Gaza, painting a dire picture of unbearable working conditions amidst the ongoing conflict that began between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.

“No one is spared: caretakers in Gaza are also in need of care. Doctors, nurses, journalists and humanitarians are hungry,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in a message delivered through his media aide at a Geneva press event.
“Many are now fainting due to hunger and exhaustion while performing their duties: reporting atrocities or alleviating some of the suffering.”

Lazzarini also took a strong stance against an alternative aid delivery program spearheaded by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an initiative that began operations in late May after Israel allowed limited access following nearly three months of restricted entry.

“The so-called ‘GHF’ distribution scheme is a sadistic death trap. Snipers open fire randomly on crowds as if they are given a licence to kill,” he declared.

This independent effort employs U.S. private security contractors and largely avoids coordination with the main U.N. system. Israeli authorities have expressed concerns that some of the U.N.’s previous aid efforts were exploited by Hamas, though the group firmly denies such accusations.

Lazzarini indicated that over 1,000 civilians have reportedly died while attempting to obtain food aid since late May, a figure attributed to the ongoing chaos at distribution points.

Meanwhile, the GHF responded with its own statement, claiming:
“U.N. has enough aid sitting in Gaza that they refuse to deliver and that could help end the desperation and help reduce or eliminate the violence around all aid distribution efforts if they would collaborate with us.”

Despite the escalating criticism, U.N. humanitarian office representative Jens Laerke dismissed claims of halted operations, stating on Tuesday that such suggestions are “manifestly incorrect.”

The GHF has further alleged that the “deadliest attacks” on aid handouts have occurred near or during U.N.-organized convoys.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, 67 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire over the weekend while waiting near U.N. relief trucks in the northern region of the territory. This occurred shortly before Israeli forces ordered fresh evacuations in zones already densely populated by displaced persons.

The U.N. also disclosed on July 15 that a total of 875 people have been killed in recent weeks during aid-related incidents. Most of those deaths were linked to areas managed by the GHF, with the remainder occurring along routes used by other humanitarian convoys.

Officials from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the military agency overseeing aid coordination had not issued any response at the time this report was compiled.