Humanitarian aid operations in Gaza face unprecedented challenges as armed gangs and mobs increasingly target relief convoys.
According to Daily Mail, more than 25% of humanitarian assistance sent to Gaza is being looted by mobs or stolen by gangs, with UN officials describing the situation as "out of control."
The crisis reached a critical point in October when £7.5 million worth of food and other essential goods were lost to attacks and looting. This represented nearly a quarter of all humanitarian aid sent to Gaza during that month, according to tallies from UN relief agencies and charity organizations.
Georgios Petropoulos, a coordinator with the UN's emergency-response agency OCHA, voiced serious concerns about the worsening crisis. Speaking after his return from Gaza on Thursday, he highlighted the overwhelming nature of the challenges, stating that the situation has grown beyond what humanitarian efforts alone can address.
The assessment of looting in November showed even worse conditions, according to preliminary data from sources familiar with the situation. A particularly severe incident occurred when a 109-truck convoy chartered by UN agencies was attacked in mid-November.
The situation has severely impacted local businesses and civilians. Mohammad Abdel-Dayem, owner of the Zadna 2 bakery in Gaza, reported that his business serving 50,000 people has been shuttered for a month due to flour shortages from looting.
The deterioration of conditions can be traced to Israeli authorities' decision in early October to ban commercial food shipments. These shipments previously accounted for nearly all fresh food and more than half of all goods entering Gaza between May and September.
Statistics reveal the depth of the crisis, with UN relief agencies only able to provide food assistance to 29% of Gaza's population in November. While this showed a slight increase from October's 24%, it marked a dramatic decline from the wartime peak of over 70% in April.
The gangs responsible for the attacks are reportedly formed along tribal and family lines. Some include criminal elements who were freed from prisons in Gaza during the Israeli offensive, according to relief and transport workers in the region.
The UN and United States have pressed Israel to restore commercial shipments, arguing that flooding Gaza with food would drive down prices and discourage looters. However, Israeli authorities have not agreed to this proposal.
Three senior UN and US officials revealed that despite Israel's pledge in mid-October to help prevent famine by cracking down on armed gangs attacking food convoys, limited action has been taken. The IDF has maintained its focus on fighting Hamas while taking minimal steps against the gangs operating in Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces spokesperson maintained that Israel has taken significant steps to allow maximum aid to Gaza. However, the US State Department identified looting as the primary obstacle to aid delivery.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a critical point as UN agencies and charities struggle to deliver sufficient food and medical supplies to Gaza's 2.1 million civilians. The combination of gang violence, commercial food bans, and limited security measures has created a perfect storm of challenges for aid distribution. While Israel maintains it is facilitating aid delivery, the growing frequency of attacks on humanitarian shipments and the persistent threat of gang violence pose significant challenges to relief efforts.
