Action Against Hunger has been delivering life-saving assistance in Gazafor over 20 years. Since October 2023, our teams have supported more than 1 million people with emergency aid spanning nutrition, food security, livelihoods, water, sanitation, and hygiene. Operating under strict humanitarian principles, we continue to prioritise the most vulnerable and coordinate with the United Nations and trustedlocal partners to deliver impartial, needs-based assistance.
Humanitarian organisations are strictly governed by fundamental humanitarian principles – humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. These principles guarantee support to the civilian population without any discrimination and ensures that organisations can, and mustoperate independently, without political or military interference. The protection of these principles is a legal obligation and is an essential condition for an effective and dignified response.
Natalia Anguera, Head of Operations in the Middle East for Action Against Hunger, said:
“We have been working in Gaza for 20 years strictly under humanitarian principles. We do this in Gaza and all around the world.As an organisation, we do not support and will never accept collaborating with any mechanism that does not comply with fundamental humanitarian principles.
“We firmly support the coordinated response of the United Nations. This system has been tested, is already operational and guarantees immediate and coordinated action for the supply of large-scale aid without delay. We cannot afford to divert attention or jeopardise the resources of proven mechanisms when lives are at stake.”
Support isprovided according to clearly defined vulnerability criteria. Unaccompanied minors, women, elderly people, or those with disabilities are some of the groups that could be left unattended if appropriate mechanisms are not implemented. This lack of focus not only compromises humanitarian principles but also perpetuates dynamics of discrimination and exclusion within the affected communities.
Natalia Anguera, Head of Operations in the Middle East for Action Against Hunger, continued:
“Humanitarian organisations have expert teams that carry out technical assessments, context analyses, and consultations with communities to identify vulnerabilities, understand where they are, and ensure that aid reaches in the right form and place.
“The absence of this prior analysis can lead to situations of inequality, where one person accesses multiple aid packages while others, in conditions of greater risk, remain excluded.”
Meeting the vast humanitarian needs in Gaza requires more than distributing food parcels. It requires a high level of coordination with the United Nations, international donors, civil society organisations and private sector suppliers.Action Against Hunger delivers multisectoral support from therapeutic food and nutritional supplements to clean water, hygiene supplies, and cash transfers to help families afford essential goods.
Natalia Anguera, Head of Operations in the Middle East for Action Against Hunger, concludes:
“We all work together to avoid duplicities, optimise available resources, and ensure that aid reaches people who need it, leaving no one behind. This collaboration allows us to complement capacities, share key information, and set priorities, which strengthens the collective impact of humanitarian action and improves the coverage and quality of assistance.”
With entry points into Gaza severely restricted, current mechanisms often require civilians to move through dangerous conditions just to access basic aid, which is unsafe and unsustainable. It must reach people where they are, not the other way around.