United Nations Rejected US Gaza Aid Distribution Strategy/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The U.S. has proposed a new aid plan for Gaza that would initially feed just 60% of the population, prompting rejection from the United Nations. The plan involves private contractors and limited distribution hubs, which aid groups say could increase suffering and displacement. The UN urges Israel to lift its blockade and restore full humanitarian access.
Gaza Aid Controversy Quick Looks
- New U.S.-backed Gaza aid plan would feed 60% of population.
- Plan involves private U.S. contractors and four distribution hubs.
- UN and major aid groups have rejected the proposal.
- UN says plan violates humanitarian principles, endangers civilians.
- U.S. says Hamas won’t control the new aid flow.
- UNRWA warns it’s impossible to replace their full-scale operation.
- Aid workers cite Israel’s blockade, not Hamas, for rising starvation.
- U.S. envoy Huckabee acknowledges the plan won’t be perfect.
- Plan still lacks full logistical details and confirmed partners.
- UN urges Israel to lift siege to avoid famine.
United Nations Rejected US Gaza Aid Distribution Strategy
Deep Look
UN Rejects U.S.-Israel Gaza Aid Plan That Would Initially Reach Only 60% of Population
GAZA/JERUSALEM — The United States’ newly announced humanitarian aid plan for Gaza is facing fierce backlash from the United Nations and other major relief organizations after U.S. officials admitted the program would initially feed only about 60% of Gaza’s population.
Speaking from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Ambassador Mike Huckabee outlined the controversial plan, which calls for the formation of a private American-run foundation to coordinate pre-packaged food and medical supply distribution to Palestinians through just four secured sites across the war-ravaged territory.
“You have to start somewhere,” Huckabee said. “And the somewhere feeds an enormous level of the people of Gaza.”
The initiative, dubbed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, is designed to bypass Hamas and other militant groups by relying on U.S. military contractors for security, with support from the Israeli military securing the outer perimeter.
UN and Aid Groups Sound Alarm
The response from humanitarian agencies was swift and stark.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a memo, calling the plan “unfeasible,” “incompatible with humanitarian principles,” and “dangerously insufficient.” It warned that the plan’s limited number of distribution hubs would result in forced displacement, particularly for Gaza’s most vulnerable: children, the elderly, and the sick.
“This plan would only entrench the crisis and deepen the suffering,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke.
UNICEF’s James Elder echoed that sentiment, calling the strategy a “pressure tactic” that would force civilians to seek aid in militarized zones, potentially exposing them to violence and worsening starvation.
“Lift the blockade, let humanitarian aid in, save lives,” Elder said.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which historically manages the majority of Gaza’s humanitarian distribution, noted that its 400+ aid sites have been reduced to zero under the Israeli blockade, while the new plan offers only four — each serving around 300,000 people.
“It is impossible to replace UNRWA,” said agency spokesperson Juliette Touma. “We are the only operation capable of reaching all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.”
The U.S.-Israeli Plan: Security and Scale in Question
According to internal documents reviewed by the Associated Press, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation would rely on armored convoys, subcontracted security, and strict vetting of aid recipients. Initial partners include former executives from disaster aid organizations like Team Rubicon and World Central Kitchen.
But even U.S. officials admit the logistics are not finalized. Huckabee said he was unable to name participating nations or NGOs and acknowledged, “It will not be perfect, especially in the early days.”
Despite that, Huckabee defended the effort, saying it’s designed to prevent Hamas or Islamic Jihad from seizing supplies — a claim long contested by UN and aid workers, who say diversion of supplies is minimal and closely monitored.
“This is about getting aid into the hands of individual Palestinian families,” Huckabee said.
Humanitarian Crisis Escalating Under Siege
Since March 2, Israel has imposed a total blockade on Gaza, halting nearly all deliveries of food, fuel, and medical supplies. Aid groups say the blockade is pushing the enclave toward famine, with UNRWA food parcels now completely exhausted, and one-third of essential medical stockpiles depleted.
An AP investigation found that long food lines, widespread malnutrition, and collapsed medical infrastructure are making Gaza’s 2.3 million residents increasingly dependent on limited, sporadic food distribution.
Despite the emergency, Israeli officials deny the severity of the crisis, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Heskel recently calling reports of starvation “complete lies.”
But international observers and aid workers disagree. The World Food Programme and UNICEF have both warned that hunger-related deaths are mounting — especially among children — and that the blockade itself, not Hamas, is the primary obstacle to aid.
“The root cause of this crisis is the prevention of hundreds of aid trucks from entering Gaza daily,” Laerke emphasized.
Next Steps Unclear as Opposition Mounts
The plan’s future remains uncertain. UN agencies refuse to participate, and key details — including distribution timelines, expansion plans, and security protocols — remain in flux.
Still, Huckabee is urging humanitarian actors to reconsider.
“Everyone who’s been saying there’s a crisis, I expect them to step up,” he said.
Whether the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation can scale its operations to cover the entire population — and do so within the bounds of humanitarian law — remains to be seen.
“If this mechanism fails, it will do so at the expense of Gaza’s most vulnerable,” said one aid official.
For now, Palestinians continue to line up in the tens of thousands at makeshift kitchens, with no clear sign that large-scale relief is on the way.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.