GAZA, (The Palestine Foundation Pakistan)The United Nations has called for the acceleration and expansion of shelter aid into the Gaza Strip before the onset of winter, amid worsening humanitarian conditions and continued Israeli restrictions on aid entry.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said that humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza are continuing to scale up their efforts in areas that were previously difficult to access.
He noted that 300 tents and 14,700 blankets have recently been distributed to displaced and vulnerable families in Khan Yunis.
Haq added that UN teams have managed to bring 10,638 tons of essential supplies into the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire agreement took effect on October 10. However, he emphasized that the current amounts fall far short of the minimum humanitarian needs.
He urged Israeli authorities to allow greater quantities of shelter and relief supplies into Gaza and to grant more permits to humanitarian organizations so they can operate freely, warning of worsening suffering for civilians as winter approaches.
Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) said that aid deliveries into Gaza remain significantly below the target of 2,000 tons per day.
According to WFP data, about 750 tons of food are currently entering Gaza daily. However, this remains far below the level needed following a two-year war that has turned large parts of Gaza into rubble.
WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa said in a Tuesday press briefing in Geneva, “To reach that amount, we need access to all border crossings now,” noting that WFP has not been granted access to Salah al-Din Road, the main artery connecting northern and southern Gaza.
She added that the food supplies delivered so far are enough to feed approximately 500,000 people for two weeks. “They’re eating part of it, rationing, and keeping some for emergencies,” she said, “because they’re unsure how long the ceasefire will last or what might happen next.”
This call comes as Gaza continues to face the aftermath of a two-year Israeli campaign of genocide, which has resulted in the deaths of 68,216 Palestinians and injuries to 170,361 others, before a ceasefire agreement was reached. The deal included a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, reciprocal prisoner releases, and guaranteed humanitarian aid access to the besieged territory.
