Oxfordshire charity say new aid distribution scheme in Gaza is causing “chaos”
Oxfam say they’re unable to fully provide aid in Gaza
A charity based in Oxfordshire say the new aid distribution scheme in Gaza is causing “chaos and havoc” while children are on the edge of starvation.
The scheme is operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) which is a newly created body backed by the US and Israel.
It means Palestinians now must pass close to Israeli forces to reach the GHF hubs, in contrast to other aid networks, which deliver aid to where Palestinians are located.
The GHF works with armed contractors, which it says are needed to distribute food safely.
Bushra Khalidi is Policy Lead at Oxfam and is based in the occupied Palestinian territory of West Bank.
She said: “This new model that is being presented is causing absolute chaos and havoc in Gaza, undermining everything that humanitarians have been doing for the last 19 months.
“We've got 2.5 million U.S. dollars waiting in warehouses in Egypt and Jordan that has not been unable to enter.
“Our warehouses inside Gaza are empty. We're unable to really carry out the activities that we did, for example on water and sanitation. That has completely stopped because 80% of Gaza is a no-go zone now that it's completely reoccupied.”
She added: “It's just completely insults what humanitarianism is, where we're trying to provide a holistic response.”
“It's harrowing. It's straight up from a horror movie”
Due to Israeli blockades, Gazans hadn’t seen fresh supplies come into the strip for more than two months until recently.
Ms Khalidi says this has pushed many people, including children, close to starvation.
She said: “My brother-in-law was telling me on the phone a few days ago, we have to tell the kids to not play because they'll be dizzy.
“Not only are these children listening to drones, sniper shots and bombs, twenty-four-seven, but then they can't play.
“They can’t even try to escape the reality, nightmare and hell that they're in, because they might faint because they're not eating, because there's no food.”