UN / GAZA HUMANITARIAN UPDATE

“The recent closure of all crossing points for cargo is undoing critical progress made in delivering vital, life-saving assistance,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists, warning that food security in Gaza is at risk of worsening. UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:02:39
• Production Date: 5 March 2025
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: STEPHANE DUJARRIC
• Corporate Name: OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS - OCHA; UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST - UNRWA; UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND - UNFPA
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
• Geographic Subject: GAZA; PALESTINE; ISRAEL
• MAMS Id: 3346221
• Parent Id: 3346221
• Alternate Title: unifeed250305d

Description

STORY: UN / GAZA HUMANITARIAN UPDATE
TRT: 02:39
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 05 MARCH 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters

05 MARCH 2025, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, spokesperson walks up to the dais
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Turning to the situation on the ground in Gaza itself, our humanitarian colleagues warn that the recent closure of all crossing points for cargo is undoing critical progress made in delivering vital, life-saving assistance since the ceasefire took hold on 19 January. OCHA tells us that food security in Gaza is at risk of worsening. Humanitarian partners warn that if the disruption to aid entry continues, at least 80 community kitchens may be forced to suspend their activities and no longer work. Meanwhile, we and our partners are still distributing food parcels and flour to households. These distributions may be reduced or suspended so that bakeries continue to receive the supplies required for them to keep operating and keep making bread. Food security partners are also distributing vegetable seeds and animal feed to support the restoration of local food production, but this, too, depends on a steady inflow of supplies. For its part, our colleagues at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) underscore that the cutoff of aid will have far-reaching consequences for women and girls.
4. Wide shot, journalists
SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Over the past 10 weeks, UNFPA and its partners have provided 170,000 women and girls with reproductive health and protection services, set up 16 temporary health facilities and supported thousands of pregnant women, along with providing vital supplies to nearly 4,500 mothers. Education is another concern. Access restrictions are making it harder for schools to resume learning activities, given shortages of educational supplies in the markets. Some students have been able to return to school after displaced families vacated school buildings that had been used as shelters. However, those facilities lack proper furniture, clean water, functioning toilets and basic materials, such as paper and pencils. Beyond access, OCHA reminds us that funding for the humanitarian response remains a major challenge. More than two months into the year, we have secured less than 4 per cent of the $4 billion required to meet the most basic humanitarian needs across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in Gaza. The scale of the needs is staggering – and unfortunately, so is the shortfall and funding.”
10. Wide shot, press briefing room

Storyline

“The recent closure of all crossing points for cargo is undoing critical progress made in delivering vital, life-saving assistance,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists, warning that food security in Gaza is at risk of worsening.

Briefing the reporters today (Mar 5), Dujarric said humanitarian partners fear that if the disruption of aid continues, at least 80 community kitchens may be forced to suspend operations. “We and our partners are still distributing food parcels and flour to households,” he added, but warned that distributions may be cut back to prioritize bakeries in need of supplies.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also reported efforts to distribute vegetable seeds and animal feed to restore local food production. However, Dujarric stressed that these initiatives “depend on a steady inflow of supplies.”

The aid cutoff is expected to have “far-reaching consequences for women and girls,” according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Over the past 10 weeks, UNFPA and its partners have provided reproductive health and protection services to 170,000 women and girls, set up 16 temporary health facilities, and supported thousands of pregnant women and new mothers.

Education is another growing concern. While some students have returned to school after displaced families left buildings previously used as shelters, many schools lack basic resources. “Those facilities lack proper furniture, clean water, functioning toilets, and basic materials, such as paper and pencils,” Dujarric said.

Meanwhile, humanitarian funding remains a critical challenge. “More than two months into the year, we have secured less than four per cent of the four billion dollars required to meet the most basic humanitarian needs across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in Gaza,” Dujarric noted. “The scale of the needs is staggering – and unfortunately, so is the shortfall in funding.”