The United Nations, and in particular the UN Relief and Works Agency
(UNRWA), is desperate to paint a picture of starvation in the Gaza Strip
resulting from Israel’s war on Hamas. And to further sully the Jewish
state, UNRWA claims it is preventing critical aid from entering the
destitute coastal enclave.
Figures released by Israel’s
Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT),
however, reveal that UNRWA is being deceitful on both counts. Gaza has
enough food, and that is thanks to the fact that a large number of aid
trucks are entering the territory every day.
But the UN won’t let facts get in the way of a good crisis, so they’ve been fudging the numbers.
A
new COGAT report published this week highlights significant
discrepancies between the volumes of humanitarian aid to Gaza reported
by Israel, and those documented by UNRWA, an agency that has itself been
sullied by revelations of collaboration with Hamas.
The report, led by Major General Ghassan Alian, suggests that flawed data collection methods and shifts in responsibility within the UN are behind the discrepancies.
Since
October 7, Israel has undertaken a substantial humanitarian effort,
with daily reports from COGAT detailing aid deliveries. However, the
international community, led by the UN and UNRWA, often reports
significantly lower figures, leading to accusations against Israel of
delaying aid and undermining humanitarian efforts.
According to UN and UNRWA data, from the beginning of the conflict until June 5, a total of 26,684 aid trucks have entered Gaza.
In contrast, COGAT records show 34,199 trucks—a difference of over 7,500 trucks, or nearly 30 percent.
The report attributes this gap to several key issues:
Flawed data collection:
Prior to October 6, data collection was managed by the United Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), relying on
sources at Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings. After the conflict began,
responsibility shifted to UNRWA, which struggled to track the increasing
volume of aid accurately.
Incomplete coverage:
UNRWA documents aid from Kerem Shalom and Rafah, but omits aid entering
through the Erez Crossing, managed by the UN’s World Food Programme, and
other routes such as the US Army’s floating pier.
Inconsistent reporting:
UNRWA records only what its staff directly handles, leading to gaps
when staff are not present or when aid is distributed by other UN
agencies or private entities.
Large quantities of humanitarian aid at a collection depot en route to Gaza.
The COGAT report highlights May as a stark example:
Israel reported 6,359 aid trucks, but the UN recorded only 1,479,
prompting international criticism of Israel. COGAT argues that this
discrepancy created an artificial crisis, as UNRWA’s inadequate data
collection led to a misleading portrayal of the aid situation.
The
discrepancy is so large that it can’t be attributed solely to simple
and innocent human error. Israel charges that UNRWA operates with
political motives, aiming to depict Israel as neglectful, if not
“genocidal.”
The mission of the UN is supposed to be conflict
resolution. But UNRWA’s behavior, including its deliberately faulty
reporting of aid shipments to Gaza, is exacerbating the situation by
stoking the flames of hostility toward Israel.
COGAT in its report
urged the international community to hold UNRWA to task, and to
acknowledge the full picture of aid deliveries to Gaza, as facilitated
by Israel.
General Alian reiterated Israel’s commitment to its
humanitarian duties and international law, and stressed that any failure
in humanitarian efforts is a collective failure of the international
community. To avoid a genuine crisis, he urged international bodies to
join the humanitarian effort being led by Israel, rather than hinder it.
1 comment:
It is in his best interest to claim the Palestinians are starving even if he does not believe it. Of course right now he is so brain dead it is hard to determine just what he does believe from one day to the next.
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