NEW YORK, August 2, 2025 (WAFA) – Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), stated today that the famine in Gaza is the outcome of a deliberate attempt by Israel to dismantle the UN-led humanitarian system and replace it with a "politically motivated" alternative, the so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (GHF).

In a post on his official X account, Lazzarini warned that Gaza’s man-made famine has been "largely shaped by the deliberate attempts to replace the UN-coordinated humanitarian system through the politically motivated ‘GHF’ — a so-called ‘aid system’ responsible for the killing of nearly 1,400 starving people."

He stressed that the situation has worsened severely since UNRWA was banned from delivering any aid to Gaza on March 2. "UNRWA, the backbone of humanitarian response, has been prevented from bringing in any assistance for months," he said.

Lazzarini called for urgent international action: “No time to waste anymore — a political decision must be made to unconditionally open the crossings. UNRWA has the experience, staff, and resources to contribute at full scale and reverse the famine.”

M.N