UN humanitarian chief dismisses US alternative aid plan for Gaza

The United Nations has a working aid plan and supplies ready to go, said its humanitarian chief on Friday, dismissing alternative proposals from the U.S. and Israel.

Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, urged on X for rapid, safe, and unimpeded access to starving civilians in Gaza, calling for parties to stop wasting time on alternative aid distribution models.

The UN has voiced firm opposition to the plan, citing concerns over its impartiality, neutrality, and independence.

"We have the people. We have the distribution networks. We have the trust of the communities on the ground. And we have the aid itself -160,000 pallets of it- ready to move. Now," Fletcher said on X.

Commenting on the proposed alternative model, he said, "let's not waste time", emphasizing that the UN has an established and reliable plan already in place.

Israel halted the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, following the expiration of the first phase of a January ceasefire agreement with Hamas. It resumed attacks on Gaza on March 18, which have so far killed 3,131 Palestinians.

According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), all 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with one in five facing starvation.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee recently announced an alternative aid plan designed to serve around 1.2 million people -- about 60 percent of Gaza's population -- through four distribution centers inside the enclave.

The operation would be managed by a newly established private entity, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and secured by U.S. contractors, with the Israeli military guarding the perimeter.