![Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) holds a press conference in Berlin, Germany on October 16, 2024 [Halil Sağırkaya - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/AA-20241016-35924855-35924844-PRESS_CONFERENCE_BY_THE_UNRWA_COMMISSIONERGENERAL_PHILIPPE_LAZZARINI.jpg)
The head of the UN agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Tuesday slammed the Israeli government’s policy of denying the famine in Gaza as “shameful”, Anadolu reports. Speaking to the press at a seminar held in Santander, northern Spain, Philippe Lazzarini said: “There is a famine right now in Gaza. This is a man-made famine driven by political and military will.” Lazzarini said Gaza is facing a situation that has “hit rock bottom” in humanitarian terms, adding that the failure of the international community to heed warnings about the famine is “shameful.” “Gaza today is like hell. People are not only dying under bombardments, they are dying of hunger, and even when they go out to look for food, they are […]