The US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been distributing supplies in an operation marred by violence. AFP
The US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been distributing supplies in an operation marred by violence. AFP
The US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been distributing supplies in an operation marred by violence. AFP
The US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been distributing supplies in an operation marred by violence. AFP

Anger and looting could push aid workers out of Gaza, says UN official


Nada AlTaher
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Rising anger in Gaza fuelled by hunger and desperation to survive could make it dangerous for aid workers to operate, as people struggle and die for food and other supplies, a senior UN official told The National.

“I witnessed families begging much more than I saw before and I could imagine,” said Nestor Owomuhangi, the UN Population Fund's representative for Palestine. “They're doing it not because they want to, but because they don’t have anything in their households.”

On his fifth and most recent trip to the enclave, Mr Owomuhangi said people were even more angry and demanding answers. He told how at a UN-backed site in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, a gynaecologist asked him: “Is there nobody in the entire world that can stop this?”

Mr Owomuhangi did not have an answer that could satisfy her, in a war in which nearly 55,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 126,000 injured.

Against the backdrop of the chaos, looting is on the rise. But Mr Owomuhangi agreed with other UN officials that those responsible are simply desperate people struggling to secure food for their families.

“These are not criminals or people who want to attack the UN and other NGOs. But we're seeing looting attacks, like at a recent health facility, that are unprecedented,” he said.

UN sidelined

The UN has been sidelined by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which is running an aid operation in the enclave that has left dozens of people killed and injured.

“At least with us, people know they're safe,” Mr Owomuhangi said, adding that people endangering their lives to get aid run the risk of starving to death if they do not.

Nestor Owomuhangi saw people begging for food on his most recent trip to Gaza. Photo: UNFPA
Nestor Owomuhangi saw people begging for food on his most recent trip to Gaza. Photo: UNFPA

Despite running out of supplies and being paralysed from carrying out their work after decades, the UN has maintained that it will remain in Gaza. But the rising threats from looters and their impact concern Mr Owomuhangi.

“My worry is that soon we’ll be seeing desperate people going into our guesthouses and looting our property, which will make it extremely difficult for the international community to stay in Gaza,” he said.

People are taking items that they can sell, he said, including air conditioners and tyres, as prices for basic good soar.

“We have staff who have run out of food completely. A 25kg bag of wheat flour costs $400,” he said.

Regardless of the chaos and the risks of remaining in Gaza, Mr Owomuhangi hopes that the situation is contained long before the UN and groups like it are forced to leave the enclave entirely.

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Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego  

Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh  

Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com

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Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”

Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”

Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”

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Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')

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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore

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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

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Sand storm

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ogram%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Kouatly%20and%20Shafiq%20Khartabil%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20On-demand%20staffing%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2050%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMore%20than%20%244%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%2C%20Aditum%20and%20Oraseya%20Capital%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

Biography

Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related

Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.

Family: Wife and three children.

Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

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Updated: June 10, 2025, 3:00 PM