WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation:

"I am gravely concerned by the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza where 76% of the civilian population are expected to face emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger by the end of September. Instead of working through respected international aid organizations, the State Department approved $30 million for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in late June, ignoring its own vetting standards and waiving legal requirements to consult with Congress.

"Since the U.S. began supporting the GHF, more than 700 starving people have been killed and nearly 5,000 injured while desperately seeking food at GHF distribution sites. Dozens more people were killed and injured this weekend in both north and south Gaza trying to access food. These operations are proceeding with almost no oversight to ensure aid is being delivered to those in need and to prevent food from being resold, stolen or diverted to Hamas.

"Congress has a responsibility to ensure aid is delivered responsibly, not in ways that deepen suffering or undermine international norms. We must reach a ceasefire and release the hostages as soon as possible. At the same time, the United States must return to proven humanitarian channels that uphold core international principles on neutrality and not forcing displacement to access food. That is the only way to protect innocent lives, prevent further chaos and reaffirm the values that have guided American humanitarian endeavors for decades."

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