NGOs: Gaza airdrops smack of 'cynicism' and are 'futile' – DW – 07/30/2025
"We need urgent action now," said Ross Smith, director of emergency preparedness and response at the UN World Food Programme (WFP) this week, as he told the press in Rome that the famine currently underway in Gaza was "unlike anything we have seen in this century. It reminds us of previous disasters in Ethiopia or Biafra in the past century."
"Worst-case scenario of famine unfolding in the Gaza Strip," read an alert issued by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The UN's hunger monitoring initiative has concluded that mounting evidence shows that "widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths."
It added: "Latest data indicates that famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City."
Most of the more than 2 million inhabitants of the already densely populated Gaza Strip, which has a total area of 365 square kilometers (141 square miles), are currently living in extremely overcrowded refugee camps in an even more limited space because the Israeli army has declared large parts of the strip militarized zones.
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu recently declared there was "no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza."
Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza. Dozens of Palestinian journalists have been killed.
Since the weekend, members of the international community have been trying to find ways of alleviating the acute misery in Gaza. On Sunday, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into Gaza. Germany and France also announced airdrop missions.
"This work may only make a small contribution to humanitarian aid, but it sends an important signal: We are here, we are in the region," said Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Aid organizations expressed dismay.
"Using airdrops for the delivery of humanitarian aid is a futile initiative that smacks of cynicism," said Doctors Without Borders (MSF) emergency coordinator in Gaza Jean Guy Vataux. He said that airdrops were "notoriously ineffective and dangerous."
The Berlin-based Center for Humanitarian Action (CHA) said it was "the most senseless airlift ever" as well as "symbolic politics and a waste of money." Its director Ralf Südhoff said that airlifts were up to 35 times more expensive than land convoys.
Marvin Fürderer, an emergency relief expert at the German charity Welthungerhilfe, also described the airdrops as "symbolic" and "ineffective." He told DW that one fundamental problem of the approach was that aid would be "dropped into a high-risk environment, without coordination, without a designated drop zone and without safety structures."
He added that it would likely not reach those who needed it most but those who were "still mobile enough to fight their way through the rubble and crowded streets to get to a place where aid had been dropped and then to wrangle for it."
Almost every day, Palestinians are killed trying to access food at the few hubs run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The US nonprofit is backed by President Donald Trump's administration and the Israeli government and was set up to distribute humanitarian aid after Israel banned the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Gaza and the other Occupied Palestinian Territories earlier this year. However, it has failed to provide security: The UN accuses the Israeli military of firing on people standing in line. This week, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that "more than one thousand people have been killed since the end of May as they tried to get food."
International NGOs have called on Israel to allow the unhindered entry of aid into Gaza and for those organizations that used to provide supplies at around 600 distribution hubs to be permitted to resume their activities.
At a press conference in Berlin, Riad Othman, a Middle East expert at the German-based human rights organization Medico International, explained that before October 7, 2023, the population of Gaza and its economy were being supplied by 500 to 600 trucks per day.
"Today, even 600 trucks a day would not be enough to meet demand because not only has the essential infrastructure and healthcare system been systematically destroyed in Gaza, but so too has agriculture," he added.
A truck can typically hold about 20 tons of aid, which includes medical supplies and drinking water, as well as food.
On October 7, 2023 the militant Palestinian organization Hamas and other groups killed more than 1,200 people in Israel in a coordinated attack. They also took 250 hostages back to Gaza. Israel launched a counterattack and declared that it would destroy Hamas. The Gaza Health Ministry says that at least 60,000 people have died, at least 147 from starvation.
After violating a ceasefire agreement in March, Israel blocked all aid supplies to Gaza for more than 80 days. Now, Israel says it is observing daily pauses in fighting in parts of Gaza and once again allowing aid to be delivered via land. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has criticized this, saying it is akin to providing life support for the enemy.
Julia Duchrow, the secretary general of Amnesty International's German section, said that there was "ample evidence that Israel is using hunger as a weapon of war." She called on the German government to stop supplying arms to Israel and to increase diplomatic pressure on the Israeli government.
The Israeli government has denied many international NGOs access to Gaza. Welthungerhilfe can only provide aid via local partners, Fürderer told DW, saying that a permanent ceasefire was crucial and that the border crossings had to be opened to allow humanitarian aid in. He said that if this were to happen, Welthungerhilfe could immediately bring in aid from Jordan.
"The convoys could start within hours, as soon as the political conditions on the ground allowed," he pointed out.
By contrast, he said, the airdrops would call for logistical reorganization that would be costly.
"It is very interesting that this is now being considered, at a time when the government wants to cut humanitarian aid by 53%," Fürderer said. "In a situation like this, it is difficult to spend millions on symbolic, ineffective airdrops."
The German air force already has some experience dropping aid into Gaza. In spring 2024, A400M military transport aircraft flew airdrop missions for 10 weeks, dropping 315 tons of aid supplies in total.To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
6 hours ago
- DW
Afghan refugees in Iran: Deported to uncertainty – DW – 08/04/2025
More than 1.3 million Afghan refugees have been forced to leave Iran in 2025, according to the UN. For many, returning to Afghanistan means facing extreme hardship under the Taliban regime. Zahra's family fled Afghanistan to Iran almost 30 years ago. Today, the 23-year-old — who is married with a young daughter — lives in constant fear of deportation. Her husband, who also fled Afghanistan, works as an agricultural laborer. "He can be arrested at any time on his way to work or home and deported to Afghanistan, like so many others," said Zahra. According to a UN report published last month, 1.35 million Afghan refugees have been forced to leave Iran in recent months. Many were arrested and deported, while others returned voluntarily for fear of arbitrary arrest. Zahra, who was born and raised in Iran, only has a temporary residence permit. "I'm listed in my parents' family passport, which is valid until September," she explained. The travel document is checked regularly and renewed every six months. Even those Afghan refugees who have lived in Iran for generations — some now in their second or third — they are not granted Iranian citizenship. For over 40 years, people have been fleeing Afghanistan to escape war, poverty, and now the Taliban's rule. Many initially seek refuge in neighboring countries such as Iran or Pakistan, however, they are often among the first people to be blamed for pushing up unemployment and crime. After the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran, Iranian authorities launched a large-scale deportation campaign against Afghans who they say are living in their country illegally. In response to the deportation campaign, more than 1,300 Iranian and Afghan activists, journalists, artists, and citizens have written an open letter to the Iranian government. They are calling for an immediate end to the repression of Afghan refugees, who are being arbitrarily arrested and deported. They also call on the Iranian people to oppose these attacks so that their silence is not perceived as complicity. Refugees have long complained about systematic and increasingly intense racist attitudes in society, which they say are being fueled by the authorities. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Negative media in Iran coverage shifts blame for social and economic problems onto refugees, fueling resentment among disadvantaged groups and turning them against the migrants. Zahra recalls that, as a documented refugee, she wasn't even given a place in school, on the grounds that there weren't enough places for locals. "The deportations in recent months have often been carried out without regard for international standards," argued Afghan human rights activist Abdullah Ahmadi. "Many of those deported were taken to the border overnight — without shelter, medical care, or adequate food. Some even had to pay for the journey themselves." Among the returnees are numerous families who returned to Afghanistan on their own initiative for fear of arbitrary arrest. Many of them say they have not received their outstanding wages or the deposits they paid for their apartments. In response to growing criticism, the Iranian authorities emphasize that they had asked all "illegal" refugees to leave the country six months ago. Nader Yarahmadi, head of the Center for Foreigners and Refugees at the Ministry of the Interior, told the state news agency IRNA in early July: "We announced in March that all illegal migrants must leave the country by July 15 at the latest." The increased number of irregular immigrants from Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover has placed an enormous strain on the country's limited resources. In January, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to the Afghan capital, Kabul, to negotiate cooperation with the Taliban, including the deportation of refugees. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in July that he was "ready to travel to Afghanistan to open a new chapter in relations between the two countries." His announcement was widely interpreted as possibly signaling recognition of the Taliban. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry later clarified that the statement was merely an expression of personal interest and there were no official travel plans. The mass deportations have led to growing criticism of Iran within Afghan society. "The current situation is not conducive to a diplomatic trip," according to international relations expert Ahmad Ehsan Sarwaryar. "In just 40 days, almost one million people have been deported. This is overwhelming basic services in western Afghanistan," he said. Sarwaryar supports the accommodation of returnees in the western Afghan city of Herat, where he has described a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Almost 23 million people in Afghanistan already depend on humanitarian aid. Now hundreds of thousands of returnees are joining them, left without shelter, work, or prospects for the future. "My plan was always to return to Afghanistan after school and study there," Zahra told DW. "In Iran, I have to pay for my studies because I don't have an Iranian passport. The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and shattered my dreams." Four of her friends and acquaintances, who were deported from Iran with their families in recent months, now live together with their young children in a sparsely-furnished small house that has no electricity. Zahra and her family were forced to leave Iran 20 years ago. After a brief stay, they returned. Today, the 950-kilometer (590-mile) long frontier with Afghanistan — parts of which run through inaccessible, high mountain ranges — remains largely uncontrolled by Iranian authorities, making border crossings difficult to monitor. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Int'l Business Times
8 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Israel Wants World Attention On Hostages Held In Gaza
Israel said Monday the plight of hostages held in Gaza should top the global agenda, after Palestinian militants released videos showing them looking emaciated, heightening fears for their lives after nearly 22 months in captivity. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in a press briefing ahead of the UN Security Council session on the issue, said that "the world must put an end to the phenomenon of kidnapping civilians. It must be front and centre on the world stage". Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing Gaza war, 49 are still held in the Palestinian territory, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The UN session was called after Palestinian militant group Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad published last week three videos showing hostages Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David appearing weak and emaciated, causing deep shock and distress in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under mounting international pressure to halt the war, said on Sunday he was "shocked" by the "horror videos of our precious sons". Netanyahu said he had asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which oversaw past hostage releases during short-lived truces, to provide food and medical treatment to the Israeli captives. Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said it was willing to allow Red Cross access to the hostages in exchange for permanent humanitarian access for food and medicine into all of Gaza, where UN-mandated experts have warned famine was unfolding. The ICRC said in a statement it was "appalled by the harrowing videos" and reiterated its "call to be granted access to the hostages". Netanyahu's government has faced repeated accusations by relatives of hostages and other critics of not doing enough to rescue the captives. "Netanyahu is leading Israel and the hostages to ruin," said a campaign group representing families of the captives. In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that "for 22 months, the public has been sold the illusion that military pressure and intense fighting will bring the hostages back." "The truth must be said: expanding the war endangers the lives of the hostages, who are already in immediate mortal danger." Mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to secure an elusive truce. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people had rallied in the coastal hub of Tel Aviv to call on the government to secure the release of the remaining hostages. Hundreds of retired Israeli security officials including former heads of intelligence agencies have urged US President Donald Trump to pressure their own government to end the war. "It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the former officials wrote in an open letter shared with the media on Monday. The war, nearing its 23rd month, "is leading the State of Israel to lose its security and identity," said Ami Ayalon, former director of the Shin Bet security service, in a video released to accompany the letter. The letter argued that the Israeli military "has long accomplished the two objectives that could be achieved by force: dismantling Hamas's military formations and governance." "The third, and most important, can only be achieved through a deal: bringing all the hostages home," it added. Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,933 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which are deemed reliable by the UN. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire on Monday killed at least 15 Palestinians, including eight who were waiting to collect food aid from a site in central Gaza. In Gaza City, Umm Osama Imad was mourning a relative she said was killed while trying to reach an aid distribution point. "We are starving... He went to bring flour for his family," she said. "The flour is stained with blood. We don't want the flour anymore. Enough!" Further south, in Deir el-Balah, Palestinian man Abdullah Abu Musa told AFP his daughter and her family were killed in an Israeli strike. Decyring the attack on "young children", he said that "perhaps the world will wake up -- but it never will". The war in Gaza has sparked a dire humanitarian crisis AFP Aid agencies have warned that Gaza's population is facing a famine AFP
DW
11 hours ago
- DW
South China Sea: India, Philippines hold first joint patrol – DW – 08/04/2025
The military cooperation between India and the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea is likely to irk Beijing. The joint drills come as Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos sets off on a visit to India. India and the Philippines conducted their first joint naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea, the Filipino military said Monday. The naval exercises come as the Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos departed for a state visit to New Delhi on Monday, where he is expected to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Before departing for his five-day trip to India, Marcos praised the two countries' "steadfastness in upholding international maritime law, including the UNCLOS", the UN treaty granting an exclusive economic zone within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) of a country's shores. The two-day exercises started on Sunday and include three Indian vessels. India's naval vessels, including the guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, arrived in Manila for a port visit late last week. The Philippines deployed two frigates. The patrol "started yesterday afternoon, then it's ongoing up to this moment... the activity at the moment is replenishment at sea," Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Salgado told news agency Agence France Press. The cooperation between India and Philippines is likely to upset China, which claims the South China Sea in its entirety. Answering a question about China's retaliatory move to the naval exercises, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Romeo Brawner said without elaborating that "we did not experience any untoward incident but we were still shadowed. We expected that already." Brawner said the naval patrols had been successful so far and expressed hopes that Filipino forces could engage India's military in more joint maneuvers in the future. The Philippines has actively increased its military cooperation with several allies in the last after a series of clashes in the disputed areas with China. China has made claims over large parts of the South China Sea, including maritime zones claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Some $3 trillion-worth (€2.6 trillion) of goods are shipped through the strategically important region annually. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video China also has a longstanding border dispute with India in the Himalayas. Last week, China called Manila a "troublemaker" that has aligned itself with foreign forces to stir up trouble in what China deems its own territorial waters. "China never wavers in its resolve and will to safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and will take resolute countermeasures against any provocations by the Philippine side," Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said in a news conference.
