VIENNA – The blockade of Gaza is causing severe humanitarian hardship and the situation is getting worse every day, the head of the U.N. aid agency for Palestinian refugees warned on Wednesday.
Gaza’s borders were closed by Israel and Egypt after the takeover two years ago of the territory by Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the West.
Egypt opens the crossing periodically. Israel allows in food and humanitarian aid, but won’t permit raw materials that the Gaza Strip needs to repair damage from Israel’s winter war on Hamas, meant to stop militant rocket fire on Israeli towns.
The closure has trapped some 1.4 million people.
“Because there’s been no change and the borders are not open, things are deteriorating,” said Karen Koning AbuZayd, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
“People are in worse and worse condition every day, especially those who were affected by the conflict in late December and in January.”
AbuZayd, speaking to reporters in the Austrian capital, said many people were still living in the rubble of their homes. She also lamented the limited list of items the Israelis allowed in, saying it was making it impossible for people to lead normal lives.
“This is an urban environment, multistory buildings, people need all kinds of things in their homes — they need light bulbs, they need washing powder, children need new shoes — there’s no shoes allowed in,” she said.
Recently, a shipment of shampoo bottles had to be sent back because they also contained conditioner — an item that was not on the list of allowed goods, AbuZayd said.
“These sorts of things defy logic and rationality,” she said.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor rejected AbuZayd’s comments.
“What truly defies logic and rationality is the stubborn instance of UNRWA to turn their back on reality by repeatedly refusing to call things by their real name and indicate the heavy responsibility of Hamas’ belligerence in bringing about the current situation,” he said.
“Thus UNRWA will only ensure that it will persist in doing a great disservice to the cause they are supposed to serve.”
AbuZayd added that while the Israelis were “very careful” to provide food and medicine, the amount of food coming in only covered about 60 percent of people’s needs.
