Toronto ON, May 28, 2025 – Plan International is deeply alarmed by the chaos that has erupted during the initial food distributions by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and US private security firms.

There are reports of shots being fired by US private security firms and the Israeli military as starving Palestinians tried to access much needed food supplies. Plan International‘s partners working on the ground have confirmed the severity of the situation.

Plan International, along with the rest of the humanitarian community, has consistently warned of the risks imposed by this scheme and have entirely rejected it. Food distribution requires experienced and careful management to ensure the safety of communities receiving aid and of those delivering it.

The first day of operations at the distribution center in Rafah on May 27 saw tens of thousands of desperate civilians waiting for hours for minimal supplies which they would have to carry long distances. This is clear proof that the scheme does not work, does not adhere to the humanitarian principles and must not be confused with humanitarian aid.

The distribution scheme risks further forced displacement of Palestinians, endangering the lives and dignity of a community that has already experienced unimaginable levels of human suffering, loss and destruction.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification snapshot released on May 12, 93% of Gaza‘s population will face emergency or catastrophic levels of acute hunger if humanitarian access continues to be restricted. This includes 470,000 people who are facing catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5), the most severe level of food insecurity.

“The blockade imposed by Israeli authorities on all aid supplies on March 2, 2025, has effectively cut off the lifeline that the people of Gaza, including 1 million children, rely on to survive,” said Lindsey Hutchison, Head of Plan International’s Global Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy and Diplomacy Unit. “There is a safe, principled, and practical solution to get aid into Gaza through the UN and its INGO partners; the only barrier to its implementation is the nearly three-month long complete Israeli blockade, and the humanitarian access impediments imposed throughout the past 20 months. Plan International has several trucks and UNRWA has more than 3,000 trucks in Jordan and Egypt ready to enter Gaza, with desperately needed aid which will perish soon.

“We are calling for the immediate resumption of principled aid operations and for the UN and principled humanitarian organizations to be permitted to deliver much needed aid to the people of Gaza. As evidenced by this week’s events, private security contractors and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation lack the capability required to conduct safe and effective aid distribution in Gaza. Only the UN and humanitarian partners have the expertise and operational coverage to deliver aid in Gaza with neutrality, impartiality, independence, and humanity. Blocking aid starves civilians and means that lives are lost. Action is needed immediately to ensure the survival of millions of starving Palestinians in Gaza.”

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