UN says it has no information on Gaza aid group’s deliveries

Gaza: The United Nations on Tuesday said it had no evidence confirming that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a recently surfaced US-backed organisation, has delivered any aid inside Gaza.

This follows GHF’s announcement on Monday claiming it had begun distributing food supplies in the besieged territory.

The group, virtually unknown before early May, has come under scrutiny for allegedly operating in coordination with Israel without involving Palestinian authorities. UN officials said they were not coordinating with GHF and have received no verifiable reports of its aid reaching civilians.

"This is a distraction from what is actually needed," said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). He called for reopening all Gaza crossings and removing barriers to the large stockpiles of emergency aid stranded at the border.

Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for UNRWA, echoed the concern, stating via video from Amman that the volume of aid entering Gaza remains severely inadequate — far below the 500–600 trucks per day needed. No UNRWA aid has entered Gaza since Israel imposed an 11-week blockade starting on March 2.

Although Israel recently eased the blockade, UN access remains restricted. Laerke confirmed that the UN lacks visibility at the Kerem Shalom crossing, impeding the tracking of aid flows.

Controversy deepened after GHF executive director Jake Wood resigned on Sunday, citing irreconcilable differences between humanitarian principles and operational realities. GHF’s board later accused detractors of protecting "the status quo," and claimed Hamas opposed its model.

The World Health Organization has also confirmed it will not cooperate with the GHF, as UN officials continue warning that selective distribution of aid could be used to politically “weaponise” humanitarian efforts.
(With AFP inputs)