ROME – The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Wednesday, it is pausing the movement of its employees in Gaza until further notice after a WFP team came under fire on the evening of 27 August, a few metres from an Israeli check point at the Wadi Gaza bridge.
The team was returning from a mission to Kerem Shalom/ Karam Abu Salem with two WFP armoured vehicles after escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian cargo routed to Gaza’s central area.
Despite being clearly marked and receiving multiple clearances by Israeli authorities to approach, the vehicle was directly struck by gunfire as it was moving towards an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) checkpoint. It sustained at least ten bullets: five on the driver’s side, two on the passenger side and three on other parts of the vehicle. None of the employees onboard were physically harmed.
Though this is not the first security incident to occur during the war it is the first time that a WFP vehicle has been directly shot at near a checkpoint, despite securing the necessary clearances, as per standard protocol. The incident is a stark reminder of the rapidly and ever shrinking humanitarian space in the Gaza Strip, where increasing violence compromises our ability to deliver life-saving assistance. The already critical situation is exacerbated by restricted access and heightened risks, leading to decreased food supplies reaching those in desperate need.
“This is totally unacceptable and the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have endangered the lives of WFP’s team in Gaza,” said WFP executive director Cindy McCain. “As last night’s events show, the current deconfliction system is failing and this cannot go on any longer. I call on the Israeli authorities and all parties to the conflict to act immediately to ensure the safety and security of all aid workers in Gaza.”
Humanitarians are increasingly coming under fire and face a multitude of challenges to deliver life-saving aid in Gaza. Frequent and ongoing evacuation orders continue to uproot both families and food relief operations intended to support them. Last week, WFP lost access to its third and last operational warehouse in Gaza’s middle area, while five of WFP’s operated community kitchens had to be evacuated. This week, on Sunday 25 August, the evacuation orders impacted the main WFP operating hub in Deir Al Balah, forcing our team to relocate for the third time since the war started.
We call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, ensure the protection of humanitarian workers, and uphold their commitment to facilitating the delivery of vital and life-saving aid.
