United Nations: Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire and needs exceed capacity to respond
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed that the humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire, and that the needs far exceed the ability of the humanitarian community to respond, given the continuing obstacles that the United Nations still faces.
According to the United Nations Information Center, these obstacles include lack of security, difficulties in customs clearance, delays and rejection of goods at crossings, and limited methods available for transporting humanitarian supplies within Gaza.
According to the United Nations, these restrictions pose a particular challenge to the efforts of the United Nations and its partners to provide sufficient shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies, in addition to educational supplies.
The cold weather exacerbates the enormous needs for shelter and winter supplies. UN partners supporting child protection have distributed winter clothing to more than 217,000 children across the Gaza Strip since October.
As part of ongoing efforts to restore access to health care, 30 partner organizations are now providing services in North Gaza, nearly double the number before the ceasefire.
Plans are underway to add more health service points in North Gaza Governorate, given due to the lack of facilities available there, and the repeated denial of access to Kamal Adwan Hospital by the United Nations and its partners.
Across the Strip, the number of routine vaccination sites has increased from 22 before the ceasefire to 33 now.
UN partners leading efforts to improve access to water and sanitation indicated that work to repair and restore water and sanitation networks continues.
Eleven teams are currently deployed in flood-prone areas to empty rainwater drains and reduce the risk of flooding.
Since the beginning of this December, United Nations humanitarian partners have been able to deliver regular food aid to an additional 100,000 people, which consists of a 25-kg bag of wheat flour and two food rations containing food supplies. Essential.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that restrictions on access and movement inside Gaza remain a serious problem. Between October 13 and December 4, Israeli authorities prevented 295 contractors, 28 UN staff, and 21 health care workers from participating in UN missions inside Gaza; That is, an average of approximately 7 missions per day.
OCHA warned that these prevention operations disrupt humanitarian planning and force the United Nations and its partners to make last-minute adjustments that may reduce capacity or lead to the cancellation of missions completely if replacement staff cannot be found.
The United Nations renewed the call for providing unhindered access for workers in the field. humanitarian goods and services, and to remove all barriers so that the United Nations and its partners can expand assistance and reach everyone who needs it.
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