The United Nations warns of a decline in the priority of bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned of the delay in the arrival of humanitarian aid to Gaza, at a time when winter storms continue to exacerbate the already deteriorating living conditions of displaced families.
According to the United Nations Information Center, and according to “Olga Cherevko”, spokeswoman for the “OCHA” office, In Gaza, needs are increasing faster than the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide aid, despite the continuing efforts of the United Nations and its partners.
Olga Cherevko confirmed that The humanitarian community continues to provide assistance, “but the needs exceed the speed of our response,” noting the limited volume of supplies entering the Strip and the growing list of materials that the Israeli authorities are still preventing from entering the Strip, including heavy machinery, equipment and spare parts needed to repair the damaged infrastructure.
With repeated storms that have flooded large areas with water in recent weeks, humanitarian agencies have prioritized providing emergency winter supplies, while about 1.3 million people currently still need shelter assistance. Cherevko said: During the past few days, relief teams distributed about 3,800 tents, more than 4,500 plastic sheets, and thousands of pieces of mattresses, to help about 4,800 families.
The international response included providing plastic sheets, cooking utensils, and food aid to support families to overcome the direct effects of the floods.
She warned. "Cherevko" Winter conditions pose serious health risks to the residents of Gaza, stressing that the risk of hypothermia increases, and infants are at great risk. UN partners are also raising awareness among caregivers, including providing guidance on skin-to-skin contact to help keep young children warm. In addition to shelter, humanitarian operations include food aid, nutrition checks, health service points, and the gradual reopening of educational facilities. In recent days, 13 additional temporary educational centers have reopened, providing educational opportunities for approximately 5,000 children.
Cherevko said: However, there are still significant restrictions on humanitarian operations, as the number of routes available for transporting aid is still limited, as are the crossings through which supplies are allowed to enter.
She noted that there are many cases in which priority is given to commercial shipments at the expense of humanitarian shipments, noting that this causes delays that directly affect the speed of aid delivery. It is necessary to remove all these obstacles, at a time when people’s needs are increasing faster than the ability to meet them.
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