UNITED NATIONS, Monday, May 05, 2025 (WNP): The United Nations and its humanitarian partners on Sunday sounded the alarm over the escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, as Israel’s near-total blockade on aid delivery enters its ninth consecutive week.

In a strongly worded statement, the UN Humanitarian Country Team — which coordinates relief efforts across the Occupied Palestinian Territory — condemned Israel’s efforts to overhaul the current humanitarian aid system. The team, led by the UN’s top aid official in the region and comprising both international and Palestinian NGOs, warned that the proposed changes would violate core humanitarian principles and worsen the already dire conditions facing civilians.

“Bakeries have shut. Community kitchens have closed. Warehouses stand empty. Children have gone hungry,” the statement read, highlighting the collapse of essential services across the territory.

The UN criticized Israel’s plan to reroute humanitarian supplies through military-controlled hubs, bypassing established UN and NGO channels. Such a move, it said, would cut off large swathes of Gaza — particularly vulnerable populations — from receiving aid and would compel civilians to enter militarized zones to access food, water, and medicine.

“This is dangerous, driving civilians into militarised zones to collect rations, threatening lives, including those of humanitarian workers,” the UN warned. It further cautioned that the new system could lead to increased displacement within Gaza.

While the Israeli government has defended the restrictions as necessary for national security, reports over the weekend indicated a possible escalation of military operations. On Saturday, thousands of military reservists were reportedly issued call-up notices, signaling intensified action in central and southern Gaza.

The UN reiterated that humanitarian operations must adhere to the principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality. All 16 UN agencies operating in Gaza, along with major humanitarian partners, have endorsed this unified stance.

“Humanitarian action responds to people’s needs, wherever they are,” the statement emphasized, urging immediate international intervention to reopen Gaza’s border crossings.

UN teams remain on the ground, prepared to resume large-scale aid delivery as soon as access is restored. “The time is now,” the UN concluded.

Separately, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) revealed in a social media post on Sunday that nearly one-third of essential supplies in Gaza are already depleted, with another third expected to run out within two months.