According to the newest update from OCHA, the rate of Israel’s access denials this month has significantly worsened compared to December. The update was released on Wednesday evening.

During the first ten days of January, only 3 out of the 21 scheduled deliveries of essential items such as food, medicine, and water were successfully delivered to the northern region of Wadi Gaza.

Rejections, postponements, and lack of safety.

On two occasions, partners on the ground had to call off or postpone missions because of long delays at Israeli checkpoints or impassable agreed-upon routes.

OCHA reported that the Israeli authorities’ repeated refusal to allow aid deliveries and lack of coordinated safe access are hindering humanitarian partners from effectively addressing the widespread needs in the northern region of Gaza.

The UN agency noted that Israel has denied multiple planned missions this week to deliver urgent medical supplies to the Central Drug Store in Gaza City as well as fuel to water and sanitation facilities, both there and in the north.

‘Significant deterioration’ 

Since the 26th of December, attempts to access the Central Drug Store have been rejected on five separate occasions, resulting in hospitals in northern Gaza lacking the necessary access to crucial medical supplies and equipment for saving lives.

There have been six instances of denied fuel delivery, resulting in a lack of clean water access and an increased potential for sewage overflows and the transmission of diseases.

OCHA reported that the current rate of access denials in January has significantly worsened compared to December 2023. In December, 13 out of 18 planned UN missions to the north were successfully coordinated and completed, despite the high and severe estimated needs in the area.

The agency emphasized that the failure to provide aid on a daily basis leads to the loss of countless lives and increased suffering for the hundreds of thousands of individuals still residing in northern Gaza.

On January 10th, OCHA announced that 193 trucks filled with supplies successfully passed through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings into the Gaza Strip.

The UNICEF has launched a pilot program at Al Quds University in Gaza to pay 100 workers for the next three months to assist with cleaning up solid waste and improving sanitation.

The image is copyrighted by UNDP PAPP and was captured by Abed Zagout.

Individuals congregate at Nasser hospital located in Khan Younis, situated in the southern region of the Gaza Strip.

Fighting and fatalities 

On January 9th, the update reported that there were ongoing intense Israeli attacks from air, land, and sea in various parts of Gaza, leading to more civilian deaths and damage.

Palestinian militant organizations continued to launch rockets into Israel, while there were also reports of ground operations and clashes between the two sides in various parts of the enclave.

According to OCHA, the Gaza health authorities reported that 147 Palestinians were killed and 243 injured on January 9 and 10. Israel also stated that one of their soldiers was killed in Gaza during this time frame.

The recent update also mentioned that the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) stated that a total of four employees and two injured individuals lost their lives after an ambulance was hit at the Deir al Balah entrance on January 10th.

Deadly toll 

According to Gaza authorities, the conflict that began on October 7 has resulted in the death of at least 23,357 Palestinians and injuries to 59,410 others.

The conflict began after Hamas launched lethal attacks on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the capture of 200 hostages. Currently, approximately 136 hostages are still being held in Gaza.

According to the Israeli military, 184 soldiers have lost their lives and 1,076 have been injured since the beginning of the ground operation.

In total, 1.9 million people in Gaza, which is almost 85% of the population, have been forced to leave their homes, often multiple times, as they constantly search for a safe place to stay.

Over 1.7 million individuals are currently seeking shelter in UNRWA facilities, which provide assistance to Palestinian refugees.

Source: news.un.org