The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has issued a sharp rebuke of the United States' independent aid distribution model in the Gaza Strip, warning that it is not only ineffective but dangerously degrading.

In a statement posted Thursday on social media platform X, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the U.S.-led mechanism for delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza—conducted outside of UN oversight—as “deeply humiliating, degrading, and putting lives at risk.”

Lazzarini further warned that the system, which bypasses established UN humanitarian structures, fails to address the worsening hunger crisis and risks normalizing what he called the "horrific Hunger Games" unfolding in the besieged enclave.

“The United Nations has the knowledge, experience, and community trust to provide dignified and safe assistance,” he stated, urging that UNRWA and other humanitarian organizations be allowed to resume full operations in Gaza.

The Gaza Strip has been plunged into a catastrophic humanitarian disaster since Israel sealed all border crossings on March 2, blocking the entry of food, fuel, medical supplies, and international aid. UN agencies and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the blockade amounts to collective punishment and is exacerbating an already dire famine.

The ongoing Israeli military campaign, now in its eighth consecutive month, has decimated the territory. Since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023, over 182,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded—most of them women and children—according to Gaza health authorities. Thousands remain missing, and more than 75% of the Gaza Strip’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

The famine, compounded by the inability to distribute aid safely and effectively, has already claimed the lives of children, with humanitarian organizations warning of a looming explosion in preventable deaths if immediate action is not taken.

Lazzarini’s comments reflect growing international frustration with alternative aid strategies promoted by the United States and other allies of Israel, which bypass UN agencies long involved in coordinating humanitarian relief in Gaza.

While the U.S. has touted airdrops and sea corridors as innovative solutions, critics argue they are largely symbolic and fail to meet the scale of need. Lazzarini’s remarks make clear that sidelining the UN is not only inefficient but dangerously out of touch with the reality on the ground.

“What Gaza needs is not theatrical aid drops or politicized alternatives, but unfettered humanitarian access and a ceasefire to stop the suffering,” said a senior UN official familiar with the situation.

UNRWA continues to call for the protection of humanitarian workers, the reopening of all crossings, and the restoration of coordinated aid efforts to avert further mass casualties in Gaza. (ILKHA)