Gaza City, Gaza Strip – The situation in Gaza has reached a critical and dire state, according to the latest update from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Suze van Meegen, NRC’s head of operations in Gaza, described a harrowing scene where nearly one million Gazans have been forced into a tiny strip of land with false promises of safety and humanitarian aid.
“This month, around one million Gazans were herded like cattle into a tiny strip of land on false promises of safety and humanitarian assistance. The carnage in Rafah this week shows that safety is a fallacy,” van Meegen stated. She elaborated on the immense difficulties faced in delivering aid, likening the process to “playing a giant game of snakes and ladders.”
The challenges in delivering aid are numerous. Supplies that do make it into Gaza often face logistical nightmares, including a lack of fuel, funds, and safe passage to warehouses. Even when these obstacles are overcome, the constant threat of violence and displacement means that essential staff might be unavailable, as they themselves are among those urgently needing aid.
Despite international promises, the actual aid reaching Gaza is woefully insufficient. Of the nine possible entry points, only two are operational. The Zikim gateway into North Gaza offers minimal relief, while the Kerem Shalom crossing is clogged with a long queue of trucks, many of which never get through. Additionally, a new sea corridor has temporarily ceased operations, and risky airdrops are not a viable solution for the scale of aid required.
The NRC update provided grim statistics illustrating the severity of the crisis. Over half of Gaza’s population has been displaced this month following expanded Israeli operations in Rafah and calls for evacuations. Approximately one million people have fled Rafah, while another 100,000 have been displaced in northern Gaza. Those ordered to evacuate have not received assurances of safety, proper accommodation, or the right to return post-hostilities, which violates international humanitarian law. Rafah’s humanitarian response is near collapse, with only one hospital partially functional, according to the UN.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that at least 1,689 Palestinians were killed between May 1 and May 30. The flow of humanitarian aid remains critically low, with only 216 aid trucks entering Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing since May 6. No trucks have entered through the Rafah crossing during this period.
Van Meegen’s statement highlighted the stark contrast between global outrage and the grim reality on the ground. “If this is where we are in the midst of global outrage, what would indifference look like?” she questioned.
The NRC’s update paints a grim picture of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, urging the international community to recognize the severity of the crisis and act decisively to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s civilians.
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