Thousands break into aid warehouses in Gaza, a sign ‘civil order’ is collapsing, warns UN
- Growing desperation three weeks into the war between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers in the war-torn Palestinian territory
- ‘Supplies … are running out while the humanitarian aid coming into the Gaza Strip on trucks from Egypt is insufficient,’ UN said
Thousands of people broke into aid warehouses in Gaza to take food and “basic survival items,” a UN agency said on Sunday, and warned that “civil order” was starting to collapse.
The UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said it was a mark of growing desperation three weeks into the war between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers in the war-torn Palestinian territory.
The agency said wheat, flour and other supplies had been pillaged at several warehouses.
“This is a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down after three weeks of war and a tight siege,” said UNRWA’s Gaza chief Thomas White.
One of the warehouses in the central town of Deir al-Balah had been used to store supplies from humanitarian convoys that began crossing into Gaza from Egypt on October 21, it said.
“Thousands of people broke into several UNRWA warehouses and distribution centres in the middle and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, taking wheat flour and other basic survival items like hygiene supplies,” UNRWA said.
