UNRWA Chief Criticizes Airdrops Over Gaza as Inadequate & Dangerous

The Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has sharply criticized the airdropping of humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning that such efforts are costly, ineffective, and potentially deadly.

In remarks carried by the BBC on Saturday, Lazzarini stated that airdrop operations will not prevent the worsening famine in the besieged enclave. “Airdrops are expensive and inefficient. Worse, they can kill starving civilians on the ground,” he warned.

The UN official urged the international community to show genuine political will to lift the blockade, open border crossings, and ensure safe, unhindered access to people in need.

Lazzarini revealed that UNRWA has approximately 6,000 aid trucks waiting for clearance to enter Gaza from Jordan and Egypt. Delivering aid through land crossings, he said, would be significantly more effective, safer, faster, and cheaper than air operations.

The remarks come amid a deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where over 2 million Palestinians face food insecurity, widespread displacement, and collapsing medical services due to the ongoing conflict and siege.

International humanitarian agencies continue to appeal for coordinated land access to ensure sustained and large-scale delivery of life-saving supplies.