UNOPS Director: GAZA STILL NEEDS HELP

United Nations

Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali

After his recent trip to Gaza, UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira speaks of a “deepening humanitarian crisis,” where the Palestinian people are “exhausted, traumatized, and overwhelmed.”

UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) is one of the main agencies playing “a critical role within Gaza.” In conjunction with UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees), the WFP (World Food Programme), and OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), UNOPS, as Director Moreira describes, is particularly pertinent for its “distribution of fuel” throughout the decrepit enclave. The fuel, which has been critical for Gaza’s fragile social and humanitarian stability, is distributed to “hospitals, bakeries, schools, and to other relevant UN agencies.”

UNOPS has also been massively important in the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2720. Passed on December 22, 2023, the resolution enables humanitarian partners to “register on an integrated application portal and database (UN2720 Mechanism System) where all planned aid consignments intended for Gaza are tracked.” Essentially, under the mandate assigned by the Security Council, UNOPS “systematically supports and tracks the flow of aid to Gaza, and verifies the delivery of aid to its intended civilian destinations.” The devised mechanism ensures transparency and accountability, where logistical data can track humanitarian shipments, thus enabling humanitarian personnel to have a better conception of what resources are most vital.

Moreira equally posits that within the unique complexity and belligerence of the Gaza conflict, UNOPS has been responsible for providing support on mine action. As Gaza now “has more than 60 million tons of rubble: the capacity of nearly 3,000 container ships,” managing mine operations is important for identifying “dangerous ordnance and assessing risks in the ground” when venturing to remove all the wreckage compiled within the last two and a half years of conflict.

In his latest trip to Gaza, Director Jorge Moreira ventured out to see the team’s “latest operations,” whilst also identifying “the imminent needs of Palestinians within the Strip.” Lasting approximately one full day, Director Moreira contended he had ventured through the Gaza Strip, traveling from the Kerem Shalom Crossing all the way to Gaza City. Outlining that the expedition was short-lived but comprehensive nonetheless, Director Moreira remarked that “severe weather” has heightened the extremities of the already dire situation. “Flooding and extreme rains,” he exclaimed, have made conditions far worse than they originally were. The weather had specifically exacerbated the crisis of displacement, where people are now reliant on destroyed homes and navigating through rubble to find interim shelter.

Compared to his previous visit to Gaza, occurring a month after the agreed October 10 ceasefire deal, Director Moreira noted that “the amount of food within the market has drastically improved.” However, he contends that the amount of aid allowed is still not enough, reiterating the call for “improved humanitarian access, the opening of all crossings and corridors — including the resumption of direct delivery of aid through the ‘Jordan corridor’ to Gaza.”

He adds, “The people of Gaza need an increase in the flow of basic supplies and fewer restrictions to support the humanitarian response and early recovery. This also includes allowing so-called dual-use items, critical for repairing and restoring access to basic services across the Gaza Strip, including water, primary healthcare, and education for children. As of the latest date supported by the World Bank, an estimated US$53.2 billion is needed for early recovery and reconstruction across the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza and the West Bank. Of that, US$20 billion are urgently needed in the first three years.”