Gaza - Twelve lives in Gaza were lost tragically as they attempted to retrieve airdropped aid packages that had fallen into the Mediterranean Sea. Six others were also killed in stampedes trying to recover aid airdropped into Gaza, Hamas said on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of desperation and chaos as people struggled to reach the aid that had been parachuted into the water. Ahmed Abu Qamar, a Gaza-based researcher for EuroMed Rights, described the situation as "heartbreaking" and emphasized the urgency of addressing the humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza.
The U.N. humanitarian office has urgently called on Israel to reverse what appears to be a ban on food deliveries to northern Gaza from the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. This comes as the region faces a "cruel death by famine," as warned by the U.N. and humanitarian organizations.
Three out of approximately 80 aid bundles dropped by the United States on Monday were reported to have experienced parachute malfunctions, resulting in them landing in the water, stated Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh at a news conference on Tuesday. However, she noted that she could not confirm reports of any drownings.
Ms. Singh explained that the aid was intentionally dropped over water and was intended to be carried to land by wind drift, aiming to mitigate potential harm in case of parachute failure.
On Monday, Britain conducted its first-ever airdrop of aid to Gaza, delivering over 10 tons of supplies along the northern coastline as part of a mission led by Jordan, according to the British defense ministry.
Governments justify these airdrops due to a significant decrease in aid entering Gaza since Oct. 7, following a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel. Data from the UN indicates that the number of aid trucks entering Gaza has fallen by approximately 75 percent since then. Notably, World Central Kitchen, a charity, had previously delivered a bargeload of aid to Gaza earlier this month.
Israel's decision to halt cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, accusing the aid agency of perpetuating conflict, has been met with widespread condemnation. Israel's refusal to approve UNRWA's food convoys to north Gaza has exacerbated the already critical situation. Since March 21, four such requests have been denied, according to UNRWA.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to provide an unwavering guarantee of unrestricted aid access to the Gaza Strip. He described the blocking of trucks at the border as "morally outrageous."
"The decision must be revoked," emphasized OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke at a U.N. briefing in Geneva. "You cannot claim to adhere to these international provisions of law when you block UNRWA food convoys."
UNRWA, essential for providing aid and services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza and across the region, has been in crisis since Israel accused a dozen of its staff of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel. The resulting turmoil led to the termination of employment for some staff members, with allegations still under investigation.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a tipping point, as highlighted by a U.N.-backed report released this month warning of imminent famine likely to occur by May in northern Gaza. James Elder, spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency UNICEF in Gaza, shared firsthand accounts of the dire situation. He described "paper-thin" children in northern Gaza hospitals and incubators filled with underweight babies born to malnourished mothers.
"Tens of thousands of people crowd the streets," Elder stated during the briefing, recounting his recent visit to the north on Monday. "They make that universal signal of hand to mouth, desperately asking and seeking for food."