UNRWA sounds the alarm as Israel blocks medicine — the world hits snooze

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned of an impending humanitarian disaster in Gaza after Israeli occupation authorities blocked shipments of life-saving medicines from entering the besieged territory for more than two years.

The agency said in a statement that thousands of wounded and sick people in Gaza are suffering from psychological trauma and chronic injuries that have changed the course of their lives, while its health centres face a severe shortage of essential medical supplies — leading to an increasing number of preventable deaths.

UNRWA: Every hour of delay costs lives

UNRWA said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that dozens of trucks loaded with vital medicines remain stranded at the crossing, awaiting permission to enter.

Lifesaving UNRWA medicines are waiting at the border, denied entry into #Gaza by the State of Israel.

As health centres face severe shortages and preventable deaths rise, every delay costs lives.

UNRWA continues to provide health care — over 15 million consultations since the… pic.twitter.com/e3UJnxANBm

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 29, 2025

Despite these challenges, UNRWA continues to provide health services across various areas of the Strip, with the number of medical consultations provided since the start of the war exceeding 15 million — even as its staff are working in conditions it has described as “almost impossible.”

The agency called for the immediate admission of medical and humanitarian supplies, stressing that restricting the entry of aid constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and threatens the lives of thousands of civilians — especially children, the sick, and older people.

UNRWA concluded its statement by emphasising that the continued prevention of aid would lead to:

a complete collapse of the health system in Gaza,’ calling on the international community to take urgent action to pressure the occupying authorities to open the crossings and allow the entry of medicines without restrictions or conditions.

UNRWA’s alarm isn’t just about medicine — it’s about a world watching a preventable collapse unfold in real time, and choosing not to act.

Featured image via the Canary