UNRWA Chief Urges Focus on Gaza Crisis as ‘Israel’-Iran Ceasefire Takes Hold
NEW YORK – Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), has called on the international community to refocus its attention on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, expressing hope that the recently declared ceasefire between the Zionist entity and Iran would hold and help de-escalate regional tensions.
Speaking to Anadolu, Lazzarini lamented the global shift in attention away from Gaza over the past week. “The situation has continued to worsen in Gaza. There have been daily military strikes, people are still on the move,” he said. He sharply criticized the Zionist entity’s continued blockade and its new aid distribution mechanism, describing it as a “death trap” that has caused more harm than good. “People are forced to choose between starvation and risking death to find food,” he said, adding that the system excludes the most vulnerable, including women, children, the elderly, and those in female-headed households.
Lazzarini reiterated that UN agencies are prepared and equipped to deliver aid effectively, with life-saving resources already stockpiled near Gaza. Despite the loss of nearly 320 UNRWA staff in Zionist attacks since October 2023, the agency continues to operate under extreme conditions. He urged the lifting of the siege and a ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing that the Zionist aid system degrades and endangers desperate civilians. Since the Zionist aggression on Gaza in 2023, over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 100,000 wounded. The Zionist entity is now facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice and arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against its top Zionist officials for war crimes.
