6/4 Statement on Gaza aid distribution by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
“The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat… Yesterday alone, dozens were declared dead at hospitals after Israeli forces said they had opened fire…
“This is the outcome of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived 2 million people of the essentials they need to survive.  These are not isolated incidents, and the perpetrators must be held accountable… 
“Open the crossings – all of them. Let in lifesaving aid at scale, from all directions. Lift the restrictions on what and how much aid we can bring in. Ensure our convoys aren’t held up by delays and denials. Release the hostages. Implement the ceasefire.

The Lancet published UNRWA’s detailed assessment of the current health status of the population of Gaza. Summarizing their findings, the authors report that “19 months of unrelenting violence and repeated displacement has led to destruction of the entire civilian and health infrastructure of Gaza, resulting in catastrophic food shortages, and dire water, sanitation, and hygiene, shelter, and other living conditions.

A letter published in The Lancet discusses how the use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza constitutes a violation of international law under the Geneva Conventions. The authors call for immediate international action including unfettered humanitarian access across Gaza, the restoration of public services, guaranteed safe and sustained delivery of food and other aid, and the enforcement of accountability for violations of international law.

In the heart of the Gaza Strip lie vast expanses where no signs of life remain — cities, villages, and refugee camps have all been completely erased. Governmental, service, economic, and medical facilities have vanished without a trace, and hundreds of kilometers of agricultural land have been bulldozed.

Statement on Gaza by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, 1 May 2025

“Two months ago, the Israeli authorities took a deliberate decision to block all aid to Gaza, and halt our efforts to save survivors of their military offensive… But international law is unequivocal: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian support in… Blocking aid starves civilians. It leaves them without basic medical support.

4/19, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jonathan Whittall, marked 50 days of total blockade: people in Gaza are being starved, bombed, strangled and “deprived of the basic necessities for human survival,” calling it “deprivation by design” and the “deliberate dismantling of Palestinian life.” He called for lifting the blockade, entry of humanitarian aid, and ceasefire.