The United Nations agency stated in a tweet that they successfully delivered food for 25,000 individuals to Gaza City on Tuesday, marking the first convoy to the north to be successful since 20 February. The agency emphasized the urgency of daily deliveries and the need for entry points directly into the northern region due to the critical food shortage.

The announcement on Tuesday about the departure of aid vessel Open Arms from Cyprus to Gaza with 200 tonnes of relief supplies was greeted by UN humanitarians. However, they emphasized that this aid shipment should not be seen as a replacement for the much-needed overland assistance that Gazans require to avoid famine.

According to Jens Laerke, the representative for the UN’s aid coordination office, all food and other assistance entering Gaza is crucially necessary and it is widely understood that there is an urgent need for it.

While we value and acknowledge the effort, it is inadequate to solely rely on this method for providing food and emergency assistance to Gaza, specifically the northern region. It cannot compensate for the need for overland transportation of these resources.

Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations’ senior coordinator for humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Gaza, also expressed her approval for the new maritime coordinator’s opening in Gaza. She was accompanied by Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of UNOPS.

The speaker emphasized that when it comes to large-scale aid delivery, there are no viable alternatives to utilizing the numerous land routes and entry points from Israel into Gaza.

“The land routes from Egypt, Rafah in particular, and Jordan also remain essential to the overall humanitarian effort. The maritime corridor brings, however, much needed additionality and is part of a sustained humanitarian response to provide aid as effectively as possible through all possible routes.”

Relief lifeline 

The global organization responsible for the Open Arms program, World Central Kitchen, has previously collaborated with United Nations aid groups in Rafah, located in the southern area of Gaza. This location has provided refuge for approximately 1.5 million individuals who have been impacted by ongoing Israeli airstrikes and conflict. These events were instigated by terrorist attacks led by the Hamas group in Israel, resulting in 1,200 casualties and over 250 individuals being held captive.

The use of scissors for children has been prohibited.

The head of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, expressed concern about the ongoing dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and criticized the decision to block “dual-use” items from entering the territory.

“On Tuesday, Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, stated that a truck carrying aid was denied entry due to the presence of scissors intended for children’s medical kits.”

Israeli Authorities have recently added medical scissors to their extensive list of prohibited items labeled as ‘for dual use’. This list encompasses essential and life-preserving items such as anesthetics, solar-powered lights, oxygen tanks and breathing machines, as well as water purification tablets, medications for cancer treatment, and birthing kits.

We must expedite and streamline the process for distributing humanitarian goods and providing essential items. The well-being of two million individuals relies on this urgent action and any delay could be catastrophic.

All options explored

When journalists in Geneva inquired about the possibility of the UN utilizing the new maritime route connecting the port of Larnaca in Cyprus with Gaza, Mr. Laerke from OCHA said that they should consider all options for entering Gaza.

However, due to ongoing denials from Israeli authorities and hazardous situations for assistance teams, the UN spokesperson emphasized the necessity for safe and consistent overland access for humanitarian convoys to reach the northern areas of Gaza.

Famine ‘imminent’

In a similar update, Cindy McCain, director of the UN World Food Programme, cautioned on Monday that Gaza is on the brink of famine and will only be prevented if there is a significant increase in humanitarian aid efforts.

At a speech in Rome, the Executive Director of the WFP expressed worry over the dire situation faced by individuals in Gaza, specifically in the northern region, which is currently facing a humanitarian crisis.

If we do not significantly increase the amount of assistance being provided to the northern areas, there is a high risk of famine in the near future.

Before the announcement on Tuesday that aid had been successfully delivered to northern Gaza, the experienced aid official clarified that WFP had been compelled to halt aid distributions in the area due to worries about the well-being of their staff and the complete collapse of law and order.

The leader of the UN agency reiterated that they are exploring all possible solutions to address the hunger situation in the northern Gaza region. This includes considering air drops, although they acknowledge that these may not provide the required amount of aid compared to using road access.

According to the head of the WFP, the only means of delivering necessary aid to Gaza is through road access and utilizing current ports and crossings. The goal is to have 300 food trucks entering Gaza on a daily basis.

UNRWA Ramadan campaign

In the midst of the humanitarian emergency, UNRWA announced on Tuesday its yearly Ramadan initiative aimed at offering urgent food assistance to Gaza.

The initiative will continue until the conclusion of the sacred month and will allocate all Zakat donations directly to those who have been displaced in the Gaza Strip due to extreme hunger.

Zakat contributions – almsgiving which is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith – will also go to eligible Palestinian families in the region through emergency food and cash assistance, the agency said.

Source: news.un.org