UNRWA warns Gaza aid supplies running out under Israeli blockade

Humanitarian crisis worsens as UNRWA urges immediate access to Gaza.

Palestinians taking shelter in a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school in Jabalia Refugee Camp, north of Gaza City, are seen struggling to survive without access to basic humanitarian necessities, in Gaza City, Gaza, on April 5, 2025. Photo by Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

The UNRWA warns Gaza aid supplies are running out, sounding the alarm on Sunday, June 3, as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip reaches catastrophic levels. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the blockade imposed by Israel has effectively stopped the flow of life-saving aid into the enclave for over a month. As a result, critical supplies such as food, clean water, fuel, and medical essentials are rapidly depleting.

In a stark statement, the agency emphasized the urgent need for the Israeli government to lift the blockade and allow humanitarian and commercial goods to enter Gaza immediately. Without swift intervention, the UN agency warns, the already-dire conditions on the ground could spiral into a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.

“Basic supplies are running dangerously low,” the UNRWA said. “Our teams continue to work around the clock, but the situation is becoming increasingly desperate.”

A siege with devastating consequences

For over seven months, Gaza has been under intense military assault, with civilian infrastructure—hospitals, water systems, power grids—reduced to rubble. The latest warning from UNRWA highlights a new phase of the crisis: not only are homes and hospitals destroyed, but now the people of Gaza face starvation, dehydration, and disease because relief cannot reach them.

According to the agency, Israel’s ban on aid and commercial deliveries into Gaza has been in effect for more than thirty days, severely restricting the supply of everything from bread to fuel for generators. Humanitarian organizations, including UNRWA, have been forced to ration their remaining resources, leaving many in the population of over two million people without basic necessities.

The UNRWA warns Gaza aid supplies running out at a time when other international organizations are also struggling to respond. The World Food Programme has reported that 90 percent of the population is now food insecure, and water access has dropped to emergency levels.

Blockade disrupting aid delivery

In its statement, UNRWA made it clear that its teams are doing everything they can with the limited resources still available. But without the ability to replenish stocks, even the most critical operations—such as distributing food packages, running medical clinics, and providing clean water—are now at risk of total collapse.

UNRWA called on the international community to pressure Israel to reopen border crossings and allow humanitarian convoys to enter the Gaza Strip. It stressed that humanitarian assistance must be allowed safe and unimpeded passage, as per international law and humanitarian principles.

“Every hour of delay brings us closer to the point where we cannot provide even the most basic support to the population,” the statement continued. “The blockade must end now.”

The ripple effects of aid deprivation

The blockade’s impact is not only immediate but also long-term. Children are going without food, schools run by UNRWA have shut down due to lack of supplies, and hospitals are turning away patients because they have no medicines or fuel for generators. Chronic illnesses go untreated. Pregnant women cannot find obstetric care. Clean water is so scarce that families resort to drinking from contaminated sources, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.

The UNRWA's warning comes at a critical moment. The agency has faced financial constraints due to funding cuts from several donor countries in recent years. These cuts have already impacted operations in Gaza and across the region. With no supplies coming in and limited funds available, the UNRWA’s ability to respond is being stretched to its absolute limit.

International calls for action

Several humanitarian groups have echoed UNRWA’s plea for immediate action. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called the situation in Gaza “one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world today.” OCHA has urged for an international humanitarian corridor to be established without delay.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also called on Israel to open access to Gaza, stating that “the denial of humanitarian assistance is unacceptable under international law.” Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also condemned the blockade, describing it as collective punishment and a violation of international norms.

A plea for survival

With UNRWA warning Gaza aid supplies are running out, time is running out for millions of people trapped in the enclave. Families are already enduring the loss of loved ones, destroyed homes, and psychological trauma from daily bombings. Now they face a new and even more indiscriminate killer: starvation and disease.

The agency’s message is not only a warning but a plea—one directed at the global community. It’s a plea for humanity, for compassion, and for immediate intervention.

“The international community cannot remain silent as Gaza descends into darkness,” the UNRWA concluded. “Access must be restored. Aid must flow. Lives must be saved.”

Ending the blockade is a moral imperative

As UNRWA warns Gaza aid supplies are running out, it becomes clear that this is not merely a logistical issue—it is a moral crisis. The lives of more than two million civilians, half of them children, are hanging by a thread because basic humanitarian principles are being denied.

The blockade must be lifted immediately to prevent the deaths of thousands more. The longer access is restricted, the greater the suffering. International leaders must not look away. Pressure must be applied to ensure that Israel complies with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

Only with open borders, access to humanitarian aid, and the freedom to deliver critical supplies can Gaza begin to heal from this unprecedented crisis. Until then, the people of Gaza will continue to suffer, and the world will be judged by its response—or its failure to respond.