An internal look at the new chaotic aid system in Gaza

After a collapse, in early March, for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israel mainly closed all the aid entering the Gaza Strip. The region has already faced a humanitarian crisis for nearly eighteen months. During that time, Israel allowed fluctuations, almost sufficient for aid truck. Then the food and medicine that arrived in these trucks were distributed by local groups across the tape. In May, when the full siege was partially lifted – after European leaders, and even the Trump administration, he warned of hunger – the gradual disposal of the old aid delivery system, which was partially operated by the United Nations, has been largely disposed of with a new organization called Fourdies Foundation Foundation, which was created in a state of overlapping sites.

Before GHF started its operations, the United Nations and a number of humanitarian organizations warned that the new system would lead to chaos, as people have to travel long distances to receive help, leading to dangerous crowds and violence. Indeed, during the past few weeks, Israeli forces have killed dozens of gaskets in these sites, and hundreds of others were wounded, as the number of deaths exceeded those looking for help from GHF one hundred and twenty people. (Israel has recognized warning footage, in addition to launching more shots on people who ignored the warnings.) GHF, which the decision -making structure has already been transparent, has already led and temporarily closed its operations to reassess its actions. At some point at the end of last week, GHF said he could no longer continue his work because of the threats of its enthusiasm. (Hamas denied this accusation, and GHF resumed operations the next day.)

I recently spoken on the phone with Salma, the power of attorney, which lives in Gaza and works in the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian organization that I wanted to feel how its organization dealt with the new relief system, and what exactly has changed on the ground since its status. During our conversation, which was edited for length and clarity, we also discussed how to talk to her daughter about the current situation, her concerns about GHF, and what Gaza needs alongside food and medicine.

Can you tell me what your job is that you are now and what is your day?

Yes. I work as director of the field office in the northern part of Gaza City. [Someone begins talking to her in the background.] Allow me, she is my daughter. Sorry. Now, since the ceasefire collapsed, we are working in hibernation. It is very difficult to move in Gaza City. But we are still supporting people. We offer drinking water to most of the population in the middle part of the city. We offer clothes, through electronic shrines, for hundreds of families. There is not enough money for people to buy goods, so we gave vouchers to needy families. We do arrangements with some sellers, and then the beneficiaries will receive a symbol they can use to recover clothes. We also have some learning spaces that provide informal education for children. Also, we have a legal section that provides some legal support and provides consultations.

How is drinking water access?

There are still some plants here in Gaza City that provide drinking water. Trucks roam, travel to shelters and provide water to people from home and outside as well. We cover a large number of people. There are some other NGOs doing this. They all cooperate with each other to try to cover most of Gaza.

I know that even before the siege began in early March, there was no sufficient assistance to reach the people of Gaza. But there was some aid. Can you talk about how aid arrives in Ghazan under this system?

Before the ceasefire collapsed, United Nations agencies and international NGOs were trying to try Cooördinate Aid. Not all elements were allowed to enter Gaza, but as I mentioned, there were some elements that were entering. Trucks will cross the border, and the aid will enter the warehouses of the United Nations agencies and NGOs after that, each local organization had standards for identifying assistance to people. People were receiving text messages so that they could come and collect them from the warehouse of the United Nations Agency or NGOs in dignity, and without a crowd. Also, aid will reach different neighborhoods, and people have not been forced to transfer long distances or go to an unsafe place to collect food, shelter materials, cleaning groups, or anything allowed to take. The quantities were not enough to cover people all the time, but at least there was some food that was entering. The bakeries were also working at some points – not all the time, but sometimes there was bread.

Then, in March, Israel announced that there will be complete cuts to help. How quickly things change?

Many bakeries remained for one month after March, but they were closed by early April, and at that time it begins that most of the stocks were empty. So by May, we faced real hunger. People were not eating for several days because there were no things to enter. They resumed allowing some elements, but not enough.

After this new relief system, which includes the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, what your organization did? What happens on a larger scale? The stories we read in the United States are that people should travel to this small number of sites to get food, and it is clear that it was very chaotic. The Israeli army shot people. How does your organization try to work in this new system, and how do you feel that the new system or not?

Let me say that during the past few weeks, transportation orders have been issued and cover most of Gaza. NRC specializes in providing shelter, and people are forced to move to other places without taking shelter materials with them. In most cases, people are forced to flee only what they can carry. Often, people are given a few minutes to leave. So they are in urgent need of elements such as tents, bedding and clothes. They move without any of these elements because they are unable to do so. They find themselves on the street without anything. We are trying to support them, but unfortunately the shelter elements do not come – yet, Israel had only allowed some specific elements, such as food and medicine. The United Nations tries to pay for shelter elements, but we are not able to provide support to the streets in the streets asleep without shelters.

Therefore, in order to be clearly clear, the people who move move because the Israeli army gives them orders to move, not because they move to get food?

Yes, they get transportation orders due to military operations.

What do you and your institution tell people in terms of getting help and getting food? Do you provide them with trends to reach the nearest facility where they deliver food?

No, we do not give them any directions like this. We are trying to do our best to support them, but we cannot give them guidance to go to these areas. It is fraught with risks. They kill people on a daily basis in those areas. There is no humanity in these areas. Human principles are not applied. So we don’t direct anyone to go there.

Therefore, for clear reasons, due to the way in which aid is delivered and because people are killed in these distribution sites, you do not tell people to try to deal with sites in any way?