What's going wrong with aid in Gaza?

Summary

Consider This from NPR: What's Going Wrong with Aid in Gaza?

Release Date: June 3, 2025
Host: NPR's Ari Shapiro

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Introduction

In the June 3, 2025 episode of NPR's Consider This, host Ari Shapiro delves into the critical issues surrounding humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza. Titled "What's Going Wrong with Aid in Gaza?", the episode explores the challenges and controversies that have emerged in the wake of recent conflicts, highlighting firsthand accounts, official statements, and expert analysis.

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Eyewitness Account: Doctor Ahmed Abusuaid's Experiences

The episode opens with a harrowing account from Doctor Ahmed Abusuaid, an emergency physician visiting Gaza from Australia. Through a voice memo to NPR, Dr. Abusuaid provides a stark portrayal of the dire situation in Gaza's medical facilities.

• Mass Casualties:
  "Another mass casualty event, the third I've seen in the last three days at Al Nassr Hospital, the last fully or partially functioning hospital." ([00:07])

• Impact on Children:
  "I myself saw many children today, three of whom were dead on arrival." ([00:30])

• Nature of Injuries:
  "Seen today is bullet wounds to the head, the neck and the chest. And we know this because we pulled the bullets out." ([00:37])

Dr. Abusuaid emphasizes the tragic reality of children being victims:
"These were children looking to get food and they were fired upon." ([00:49])

His account underscores the severity of the violence impacting civilians seeking basic necessities like food.

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Official Response: Israeli Military's Stance

Following the eyewitness account, Ari Shapiro presents the Israeli government's response to the allegations of violence at aid distribution sites.

Dave David Mentzer, spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister's office, addresses the incident where Israeli troops fired near a food distribution site:

"Now our troops diligently issued warning shots and as some of the suspects continued, despite these warning shots, advancing towards the troops in a threatening manner, further fire was directed near these specific individuals." ([01:12])

Mentzer asserts that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are aware of the casualties and are reviewing the incident. He categorizes the accusations as:

"Serious accusations made on Sunday in so much of the media, they were based on Hamas propaganda." ([01:51])

This statement reflects the official narrative that the actions taken were in response to perceived threats, dismissing the reports of civilians being targeted.

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Current Aid Distribution System in Gaza

Ari Shapiro provides context on the existing aid distribution framework in Gaza:

• Administration:
  The food aid sites are operated by private American contractors under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a joint initiative by the US and Israel. This system was established after Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza, halting all supply routes for nearly three months.

• Operational Challenges:
  "Only four sites are operational, none are in northern Gaza, and there are over 2 million people in Gaza." ([02:01])

Shapiro highlights the substantial gap between the aid provided and the overwhelming needs of the population, emphasizing the inefficiency and inadequacy of the current system.

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Expert Insights: Avril Benoit on Humanitarian Aid Challenges

A pivotal part of the episode features Avril Benoit, CEO of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the U.S., offering her expert perspective on the situation.

• Critique of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation:
  "This food distribution scheme is coordinated by something called Gaza Humanitarian foundation, created by the US and Israel, not just backed, but it's been disastrous." ([04:23])

Benoit criticizes the foundation's approach, stating it deviates from established humanitarian principles such as impartiality and non-politicization of aid. She recounts the violence during the first afternoon of distribution in Rafah, where people seeking food were shot, leading to injuries and deaths.

• Comparison with Traditional Aid Organizations:
  "Normally you would do it in an impartial way. You don't ask people to risk their lives to get it. You try to reach people where the aid is most needed." ([06:20])

Benoit contrasts this with the current situation, where aid recipients are compelled to approach the distribution sites under threat, exacerbating the risks and undermining the safety and efficacy of aid delivery.

• Call for International Humanitarian Law Compliance:
  "What we have under the circumstances now are exactly what Israel was warned not to do, which is to manage this conflict in a way that creates violations of international law, such as the mass starving of people and withholding humanitarian aid from them." ([07:56])

She emphasizes the necessity for Israel to adhere to international humanitarian laws by ceasing the obstruction of aid and allowing established organizations like the UN to manage distribution effectively.

• Human Cost and Organizational Strain:
  "We're currently working under unbearable conditions. Even our own staff are barely eating one meal a day." ([08:04])

Benoit shares the dire circumstances faced by humanitarian workers on the ground, highlighting the personal sacrifices and immense challenges in delivering aid amidst ongoing violence.

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Conclusion

The episode of Consider This paints a comprehensive picture of the multifaceted issues plaguing aid distribution in Gaza. Through eyewitness reports, official statements, and expert analysis, it becomes evident that the current aid system is fraught with obstacles that compromise the safety and well-being of those it aims to assist. The critiques from professionals like Avril Benoit underscore the urgent need for a more effective, impartial, and humane approach to humanitarian aid in conflict zones.

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Produced by: Michelle Aslam and Conor Donovan
Edited by: Patrick Jaranwattanan
Executive Producer: Sami Yenigun

Transcript

[Ari Shapiro]

Doctor Ahmed Abusuaid is matter of fact and precise when he describes what he saw Tuesday in a voice memo to npr.

[Doctor Ahmed Abusuaid]

Another mass casualty event, the third I've seen in the last three days at Al Nassr Hospital, the last fully or partially functioning hospital.

[Ari Shapiro]

He's an emergency physician visiting Gaza from Australia. And here we'll note that his brief account includes graphic details. In his voice memo, he lists the number of fatalities and injured, the types of patients.

[Doctor Ahmed Abusuaid]

I myself saw many children today, three of whom were dead on arrival.

[Ari Shapiro]

He describes the injuries and what I've.

[Doctor Ahmed Abusuaid]

Seen today is bullet wounds to the head, the neck and the chest. And we know this because we pulled the bullets out.

[Ari Shapiro]

There's one point that he pauses on. He wants it to sink in. He says, I want to emphasize that point.

[Doctor Ahmed Abusuaid]

These were children looking to get food and they were fired upon.

[Ari Shapiro]

The International Committee of the Red Cross says at least 27 people were killed near a food distribution site in southern Gaza after Israeli troops opened fire. Dave David Menser, a spokesman in the Israeli prime minister's office, said that several individuals were deviating from the approved access route.

[Dave David Mentzer]

Now our troops diligently issued warning shots and as some of the suspects continued, despite these warning shots, advancing towards the troops in a threatening manner, further fire was directed near these specific individuals.

[Ari Shapiro]

He said the Israeli military was aware of reports of casualties and is reviewing the incident. There have been three such shootings in three days. NPR spoke to two eyewitnesses who said they were in a crowd heading toward a food distribution site on Sunday when Israeli troops fired at them. Mentzer, the spokesman, called the allegations false and baseless.

[Dave David Mentzer]

The IDF's initial investigation confirms that serious accusations made on Sunday in so much of the media, they were based on Hamas propaganda.

[Ari Shapiro]

This food aid site is operated by private American contractors. It's part of an Israel and US Backed food distribution system launched last month after Israel had blockaded all supplies from coming into Gaza for nearly three months. Only four sites are operational, none are in northern Gaza, and There are over 2 million people in Gaza. Consider getting food to desperate people is always a challenge. In Gaza, a new system is not meeting the need. From npr, I'm Ari Shapiro.

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[Ari Shapiro]

It's consider this from NPR. The violence outside the new aid sites in Gaza may have something to do with the way Israel is managing food distribution there. It's not how aid is typically given out in war zones. I spoke with Avril Benoit about this. She's CEO of Doctors Without Borders within the US and has helped distribute aid in conflict zones around the world. So these food distribution sites in southern Gaza are not run by the UN or other well established international aid organizations. A private group backed by the US is overseeing the effort. How unusual is that?

[Avril Benoit]

Very unusual. So this food distribution scheme is coordinated by something called Gaza Humanitarian foundation, created by the US and Israel, not just backed, but it's been disastrous. In the first afternoon of the distribution in Rafah, people were shot, injured. You can imagine after so many weeks and months of siege just to fight to get scraps of food to survive. It's the kind of thing that's predictable when you run things this way without the usual humanitarian principles, which involve a certain expertise, but also notions of impartiality, making sure that the aid isn't politicized, that you're not militarizing aid, which is very much the whole concept here.

[Ari Shapiro]

You say this is predictable when you run things this way. Can you be more specific? What do you see this organization doing that a group like the UN would not do?

[Avril Benoit]

This is a cynical ploy, if you will, to feign compliance with international humanitarian law to say, look, we have this humanitarian foundation, it's delivering food. But for all my years working in humanitarian crisis zones, I've never seen a three month siege.

[Ari Shapiro]

For about three months, Israel did not deliver food to the Gaza Strip is what you're referring to.

[Avril Benoit]

Yes. I mean, even the number of trucks that are getting in are paltry compared to what's need have as Doctors without borders, over 106 trucks waiting authorization to cross. And they contain medical items, you know, painkillers, antibiotics, saline compress, gauzes, things like that. But in a food distribution Normally you would do it in an impartial way. You don't ask people to risk their lives to get it. You try to reach people where the aid is most needed as opposed to.

[Ari Shapiro]

Asking people to reach you.

[Avril Benoit]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ari Shapiro]

In any war zone where people are at risk of starvation, there is going to be security concerns, there is going to be the risk of panic and chaos. How is that typically mitigated in aid distribution sites in conflict zones?

[Avril Benoit]

Well, the first step is not to withdraw it, not to withhold it, not to block it so that people are so desperate. I mean, that's the first step. Now, understandably, in many conflict zones, that's not the case. Think of Sudan, where you have very high levels of malnutrition, even famine, and it's so insecure that the World Food Program and other delivery systems have just been unable to reach people. But in a situation like this is very much under the control of Israeli military operations with intensified airstrikes, widespread evacuation orders one after the other. So for me, it's quite obviously a situation of violence and panic that is entirely human made. It's not surprising that people who are suffering so much will take risks also to be able to feed themselves and their children.

[Ari Shapiro]

Israel controls all aid into Gaza. Do you see a diplomatic path for the UN and other experienced aid organizations like yours to resume the work that you've done in other parts of the world in Gaza in the past?

[Avril Benoit]

Well, it just has to. It has to. I mean, there's just no way around it. Think of.

[Ari Shapiro]

Well, I mean, I don't know that Netanyahu will respond to someone saying it has to. Is there a way to persuade the Israeli government of what you're saying?

[Avril Benoit]

Well, look, what we have under the circumstances now are what many would say is exactly what Israel was warned not to do, which is to manage this conflict in a way that creates violations of international law, such as the mass starving of people and withholding humanitarian aid from them. Obviously, it's a very complex situation. Politically, I'm not an expert in that. Our organization doesn't weigh into this. If we're political at all. It's just to speak for people's right to survive. What we need is for this violence to stop, for people to be able to receive, receive aid. We're currently working under unbearable conditions. Even our own staff are barely eating one meal a day. And it's, you know, for us it's just an unbearable situation of violence.

[Ari Shapiro]

Avril Benoit is CEO of Doctors Without Borders in the U.S. thank you for speaking with us.

[Avril Benoit]

Thank you.

[Ari Shapiro]

And you heard reporting at the top of this episode from NPR's Anas Baba in Gaza. This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam and Conor Donovan. It was edited by Patrick Jaranwattanan. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Ari Shapiro.

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