Gaza airdrops not enough to address humanitarian crisis

In response to Gaza's worsening hunger crisis, Israel has allowed several countries to airdrop food pallets into the war-torn territory. On Monday, planes from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, Belgium and Canada dropped 120 aid packages, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said.

On Tuesday, Israel said it would partially reopen the entry of goods for trade in Gaza through local vendors to decrease its dependency on humanitarian aid.

However, Palestinians on the ground and humanitarian organisations say the aid is insufficient and poorly distributed.

"What's being dropped from the sky doesn't reach anyone except those who can fight others," said Diaa al-Asaad, a 50-year-old displaced father of six in Gaza City who spoke to DW by phone. Foreign journalists are barred from entering Gaza.

Some drop zones, strategic locations where supplies are airdropped, are difficult to access, he continued, as they are often located near or inside Israeli-controlled militarised areas, known as "red zones."

"We need aid to be distributed fairly to all residents, not this way," he said.

Majed Ziad, a resident of Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp, echoed those concerns: "The solution isn't to throw food at us. People need normal, humane access [to food] — unlike animals chasing prey in the jungle."

'Worst-case scenario unfolding'

The airdrops come amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Gaza's 2.2 million residents face severe shortages, with many dependent on external aid. Local food production has been largely destroyed. And throughout the war, experts have warned that Gaza is on the brink of starvation.

The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that the "worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding," while the World Health Organisation (WHO) noted a sharp rise in malnutrition-related deaths among children last month.

Israel, which controls Gaza's border, cut off supplies in early March.

Amid intentional pressure, Israel resumed limited aid deliveries in May but shifted to distribution sites managed by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Hundreds have been killed near these distribution points, allegedly by Israeli fire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly blamed Hamas for looting aid and said that Israel was ‘vilified' by claims that there is hunger in Gaza.

"They lie about us. They say that we are deliberately starving Palestinian children. That's a bare-faced lie. Since the beginning of the war, we have let in almost 2 million tons of food," he said in a video posted on X.

Since the war began in October 2023, Gaza health authorities have reported over 60,000 deaths, with many more feared trapped under rubble. Local authorities do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, though the vast majority of victims are said to be women and minors.

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Controversies over aid airdrops

Humanitarian groups consider airdrops a last resort due to risks on the ground.

On Monday, reports emerged that a nurse in Gaza was killed when a falling aid pallet struck him during the latest round of drops.

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X that airdrops are costly and less effective than land deliveries through crossings.

"Airdrops are at least 100 times more costly than trucks. Trucks carry twice as much aid as planes," he wrote.

On a recent trip to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul acknowledged the limitation of airdrops and called on Israel to open land crossings for effective aid delivery.

"The land route is crucial," he said. "Here, the Israeli government has a duty to quickly allow sufficient humanitarian and medical aid to pass through safely, so that mass starvation deaths can be prevented."

He acknowledged that more aid trucks were entering Gaza, but added "it is still insufficient," calling for a "fundamental change" in Israeli policy.

Alongside airdrops, the Israeli military announced tactical pauses and humanitarian corridors for aid convoys in three Gaza regions last week. Yet the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarians Affairs (OCHA) reported aid entering Gaza "remains insufficient" and convoys face delays and dangers. For example, a fuel delivery recently took 18 hours to travel just 24 kilometers (15 miles).

Many Palestinians have been killed near GHF distribution sites or while waiting for aid convoys. Aid trucks often do not reach intended recipients due to looting, either by desperate residents or black-market dealers.

Dalia al-Affifi, a mother of two in Gaza City, said most aid never reaches ordinary people. Prices for basics, like flour, have skyrocketed, sometimes reaching 100-120 shekels (€25-€30, $29-$35) per kilogram, well beyond the reach of many.

Dalia said that as a woman, she would not be able to outrun young men trying to get food from one of the aid trucks, and she would be too afraid to send a family member.

"My brother is here, and I don't want him to go there and expose himself to death."

Diaa al-Asaad also struggles to feed his children. Last week, he walked several kilometres toward northern Gaza's Zikim area to wait for UN aid trucks to pass through. "I tried to get flour, but it was impossible. I managed to grab a few cans of beans and chickpeas. I simply need the food."