A Palestinian boy salvages bread from a makeshift bakery hit in Israeli strikes at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on May 8, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Gaza: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has said that distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza would be extremely difficult without its involvement, responding to the U.S. announcement on Thursday regarding a new entity tasked with managing humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Spokesperson for UNRWA Juliette Touma emphasized that replacing UNRWA in a place like Gaza is impossible, as it is the largest humanitarian organization operating there.
Touma noted that UNRWA employs over 10,000 staff in Gaza, working to deliver the remaining scarce supplies, while also managing shelters for displaced individuals. She stressed that it is extremely difficult to imagine any humanitarian operation without UNRWA.
Since Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza last March, it has blocked humanitarian aid from entering the enclave, where 2.4 million people reside.
UNRWA's mandate includes implementing relief and employment programs for Palestinian refugees, collaborating directly with local governments, and consulting with relevant authorities on relief projects and strategic planning for a future in which such services are no longer needed.
