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UNRWA says aid flows improving in Gaza but warns its operation must continue past month-end
Summary
A UNRWA spokesperson said more than 600 humanitarian trucks entered Gaza and that UNRWA’s distribution system is essential, warning that the ceasefire’s success is at risk if UNRWA cannot operate beyond the end of the month.
A UNRWA spokesperson told a briefing that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) remains the “bedrock of the aid distribution system” in Gaza and that recent changes on the ground have already allowed more movement and activity in public areas.
"UNRWA is the bedrock of the aid distribution system, the backbone of that delivery. Since the ceasefire came into effect, we've seen dramatic changes already on the streets of Gaza. People are out and about. Children are playing. People can move around without any sense of fear," the UNRWA spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that "yesterday, more than 600 humanitarian aid trucks were able to enter Gaza," and that agencies are focused on moving supplies that have been stalled outside the territory for months. "We have thousands upon thousands of trucks of food aid, of flour, and of basic shelter supplies and clothes and tents," the spokesperson said, adding that UNRWA and the humanitarian community have the infrastructure to distribute those supplies to people most in need.
The spokesperson cautioned that other organizations are not in a position to replace UNRWA’s services at present. "No 1 is in a position to replace UNRWA services at this point in time," the spokesperson said. They later warned that "the success of the ceasefire will lie in the balance if UNRWA is unable to operate beyond the end of this month."
The statements in the briefing were presented as situational updates and warnings by the agency representative; the transcript does not record any formal votes, orders, or other governing-body actions related to UNRWA’s mandate or funding.
The briefing named the types of supplies currently queued for distribution—food aid, flour, basic shelter supplies, clothing and tents—but did not specify exact counts beyond the reported 600 trucks that entered the previous day. The spokesperson described the number of trucks waiting outside Gaza as "thousands upon thousands," without providing a precise figure.
The statements indicate a risk that continued humanitarian access and the ceasefire’s stability depend on UNRWA’s ability to operate into next month. No operational or funding decisions affecting UNRWA were recorded in the transcript.
