The United Nations delivered a scathing rebuke of Washington’s proposed maritime aid corridor to Gaza on Tuesday, with senior officials warning the American initiative could severely undermine coordinated humanitarian efforts in the war-torn region. The criticism comes amid escalating concerns about the deepening humanitarian crisis that has left Gaza’s 2.3 million residents facing catastrophic food shortages.
“This proposed maritime corridor risks becoming a recipe for disaster,” said UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths during an emergency Security Council meeting. “It threatens to fragment our collective response at precisely the moment when coordination is most critical.”
The controversial US plan, unveiled last month by President Biden, involves constructing a temporary pier on Gaza’s coast to deliver humanitarian supplies via sea. However, UN officials have highlighted significant logistical flaws and security risks that could derail the initiative’s effectiveness.
According to UN World Food Programme Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau, the maritime corridor presents “immense technical, security, and distribution challenges” that would severely limit its impact on alleviating Gaza’s desperate food shortages. Skau stressed that sea deliveries would provide only a fraction of the aid required, with land routes remaining the only viable option for delivering sufficient quantities of food and medical supplies.
The Security Council meeting revealed stark contrasts in international perspectives on the crisis. While US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield defended American efforts to increase aid flow, Russia’s UN representative Vassily Nebenzia accused Washington of enabling what he termed “Israel’s genocide against Palestinians” through continued weapons supplies.
Meanwhile, evidence of the humanitarian catastrophe continues to mount. The UN’s food security analysis confirms that 1.1 million Gazans—half the population—are experiencing catastrophic hunger, with northern Gaza particularly devastated. Witnesses describe desperate residents resorting to grinding animal feed into flour as starvation grips communities.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), painted a grim picture of conditions on the ground. “The reality is that Gaza is uninhabitable. People are starving, diseases are spreading, and the healthcare system has collapsed,” he told Council members.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan rejected accusations of obstructing aid, claiming his country has “no restrictions on the amount of humanitarian aid that can enter Gaza.” However, this assertion contradicts reports from multiple aid organizations documenting systematic impediments to aid delivery.
The heated debate underscores the growing international discord over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. As diplomatic tensions intensify, the central question remains: can the international community overcome political divisions to address what experts describe as one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 21st century before it’s too late?
