A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
For more about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, we have Ahmed Bayram. He's a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which is delivering aid in Gaza. He joins us from Amman, Jordan. Ahmed, the last time we spoke to your organization a few weeks ago, you said that you were out of aid completely and that you just had water to give out. Is that still the case? Do you have any supplies to give right now?
AHMED BAYRAM: Pretty much the same situation, of course...
MARTÍNEZ: Wow.
BAYRAM: ...With the suffocating blockade that we are facing. The Norwegian Refugee Council has not managed to bring in any aid as of this morning, since the - of course, the blockade was installed. Now we are running down our latest - you know, our last stocks of shelter items and of baby items. We are still providing water, which is a critical lifeline at the moment...
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
BAYRAM: ...But the numbers are shrinking. And so we need the gates to open and for aid to gush in into Gaza so that we can help.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, we just heard about the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Have you or any of your team on the ground seen or heard about its operations this week?
BAYRAM: No, we haven't. I mean, of course, there are some reports circulating on social media. We haven't heard or we haven't seen mainly because, you know, Israel has reportedly installed these distribution points very far from where it has displaced people. These points, 3 out of 4 of these distribution points are in Rafah. Rafah, by the way, is 100% off limits. It's a combat zone. It means it's a no-go area for civilians.
So for Israel to actually place a distribution hub for aid, you know, miles away from where it has obviously displaced people is a big question mark to start with. And, of course, there are, you know - or in the meantime, there are tons of food trucks waiting to move in into Gaza. So I think what's happening is a big distraction. We should go back to, you know, looking at these aid trucks that aid organizations are waiting to offload for people who really need them in Gaza.
MARTÍNEZ: So not even a picture or a video of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation?
BAYRAM: I mean, there have been reported images of that organization or of trucks. I've seen some images today of, you know, a few people carrying boxes of apparently what is food support. It's not clear where exactly. It's not clear who these people are. Like I said, according to Israeli orders, you're not supposed to be in Rafah or anywhere near it at the moment. So it's not very clear, I have to say. Everything, you know, is murky at this point when it comes to this organization. And I think the wisest thing to do now is to reverse this plan and allow food to go to the heart of where these communities are in the north of Gaza and in the center of Gaza.
MARTÍNEZ: But, Ahmed, Israel's government says that this new way of delivering aid via the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is necessary to stop supplies from getting in the hands of Hamas. So what would be wrong with that?
BAYRAM: It would be, I mean, not getting - probably this plan would not get aid to probably over 50% of the people at this stage, simply because it has no plans to offer aid to people north of Gaza. It has no plans to offer aid to where people actually are, in displacement camps, in the center, in Rafah and Khan Younis and in Gaza City. There are thousands and thousands of people. Baker is already there. And I have to say here that organizations provide aid in the midst of these refugee and displacement populations on a daily basis. We go to people, and we offer that support. The plan, what is quite unrealistic about this - even dangerous - is that it will require people to walk miles, you know, through land mines, through, you know, being screened, obviously walking in probably the most dangerous routes to get a bag of bread and then go back. I mean, that is going to be, you know, dangerous. So, yeah, again...
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
BAYRAM: ...We want this plan reversed.
MARTÍNEZ: Well, quickly - got 20 seconds - what did you make of Jake Wood's resignation as the head of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation?
BAYRAM: I think it literally shows that the entire idea is a nonstarter, really.
MARTÍNEZ: All right, that's Ahmed Bayram, spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council. Ahmed, thanks a lot.
BAYRAM: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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