Concerns are escalating over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,where aid deliveries remain insufficient to meet the critical needs of the population. The United Nations and its agencies are sounding the alarm, highlighting the dire conditions and the looming threat of famine.

Adding to the complexity, in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli protesters illegally entered a compound belonging to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This incident occurred against a backdrop of increasing tensions and challenges to humanitarian operations.

Aid Delivery: A Drop in the Bucket?

While some aid has recently entered Gaza, its scale is far from adequate. The Israeli military coordination unit, COGAT, reported that 388 trucks had entered Gaza since last Monday. This marked the first aid to arrive after more than two months of blockade, during which hunger levels spiked dramatically.

Though, humanitarian organizations emphasize that this is merely a fraction of what is needed. They estimate that at least 500 to 600 trucks must cross into Gaza daily to provide the population with their basic necessities,mirroring the levels seen before the outbreak of conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas-led attacks on Israel.

James Elder,a spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF),described the situation starkly:

We are on the back of 11 weeks of nothing entering the Gaza Strip,no food,no medicines for 11 weeks,nothing apart from bombs.
James Elder, UNICEF Spokesperson

Elder further characterized the current level of assistance as:

painfully inadequate… It looks like a token that appears more like cynical optics than any real attempt to tackle the soaring hunger crisis among children and civilians in Gaza.
James Elder, UNICEF Spokesperson

UN-backed food security experts warned earlier this month that Gazans remain at “critical risk of famine.” Their latest update estimates that one in five people in Gaza – 500,000 individuals – faces starvation.

Dire Conditions and Displacement

Sarah Poole, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, recently visited displaced persons’ shelters in Gaza and reported on the rapidly deteriorating living conditions. Many families have been displaced more than a dozen times, struggling to find safety and stability.

Poole emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating:

The needs are absolutely critical.
Sarah Poole, UN Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim

She also noted that the lack of lifesaving supplies is compounding the crisis. Humanitarian workers are striving to overcome numerous obstacles to deliver essential aid, including food, water, and healthcare.

Poole reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities,the release of hostages,the provision of humanitarian aid at scale,and an end to the prolonged suffering of the Gazan population.

Escalating Violence and Damaged Infrastructure

Reports indicate that Israel’s intensifying military operation in northern Gaza has resulted in numerous casualties. Air strikes have reportedly killed at least 50 people, targeting alleged terrorists and their infrastructure.

One such attack struck a school in Gaza City, which was sheltering hundreds of displaced individuals. Eyewitness accounts and footage depict a scene of devastation, with a classroom set ablaze. Another air strike hit a home elsewhere in Gaza City,resulting in the deaths of four people,according to health authorities.

UNRWA reported that its shelters are overwhelmed with displaced people desperately seeking safety. The agency also highlighted the severe lack of food, which is exacerbating the suffering of the population.

The agency further noted:

Many families are sheltering in abandoned, unfinished, or damaged buildings. Sanitation conditions are dire; in certain specific cases, hundreds of people are having to share a single toilet. others, including children and pregnant women, are sleeping in the open.
UNRWA

Agricultural Devastation

Across Gaza, the agricultural sector has been decimated. Less than five percent of the strip’s cropland remains available for cultivation, according to a joint assessment by the UN Food and Agriculture Association (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT).

The agencies’ findings, based on high-definition imagery, underscore the significant reduction in Gaza’s food production capacity due to the conflict, further increasing the risk of famine. As of April 2025, more than 80 percent of Gaza’s total cropland area has been damaged (12,537 hectares out of 15,053), and 77.8 percent is inaccessible to farmers,leaving only 688 hectares (4.6 percent) available for cultivation.

The situation is particularly critical in Rafah and the northern governorates, where nearly all cropland is inaccessible.

UNRWA Compound Incident

The UNRWA facility in occupied East Jerusalem was the site of a protest on Monday, during which Israeli protesters illegally entered the compound. A spokesperson for the UN agency noted that a member of the israeli Knesset was among those who entered the premises. The incident occurred on a national holiday in Israel, commemorating the occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank following the Six-Day War in 1967.

The UNRWA facility, located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem, has been targeted in past arson attacks.In January,UNRWA withdrew its staff from the compound in protest against an Israeli law banning the agency’s operations in occupied East Jerusalem.

Despite these challenges, the location retains its status as a UN facility protected under international law.