The UNRWA reports that yesterday, thousands of people broke into the organization's warehouses in southern and central regions of the Gaza Strip. Basic supplies such as flour and toiletries were looted, including humanitarian aid shipments that have crossed into Gaza since the beginning of the war.
“This is a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down after three weeks of war and a tight siege on Gaza. People are scared, frustrated and desperate. Tensions and fear are made worse by the cuts in the phones and internet communication lines. They feel that they are on their own, cut off from their families inside Gaza and the rest of the world,” said Thomas White, Director of UNRWA Affairs in the Gaza Strip.
“Supplies on the market are running out while the humanitarian aid coming into the Gaza Strip on trucks from Egypt is insufficient. The needs of the communities are immense, if only for basic survival, while the aid we receive is meager and inconsistent,” added White.
“The current system of convoys is geared to fail. Very few trucks, slow processes, strict inspections, supplies that do not match the requirements of UNRWA and the other aid organizations, and mostly the ongoing ban on fuel, are all a recipe for a failed system. We call for a regular and steady flow line of humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip to respond to the needs especially as tensions and frustrations grow,” concluded White.
The looting is reported to have taken place primarily in the region of the Rafah border crossing, where supplies have been entering the Gaza Strip from Egypt. More than 80 truckloads of supplies are reported to have been moved through the crossing since the beginning of the war. Fifty more trucks are scheduled to enter the Gaza Strip today.