Aid distribution in Gaza hampered despite checkpoint deliveries: UN humanitarians

United Nations, Aug 1 (IANS) UN humanitarians said that as starvation worsens in Gaza, efforts to swiftly distribute aid are being hampered by delays, looting and military operations, even as shipments continue to arrive through Israeli checkpoints.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that earlier this week, despite the Israeli military designating secure routes from border crossings into Gaza and toward distribution sites, aid trucks operated by the United Nations and its partners continued to face lengthy delays, putting drivers, humanitarian workers and crowds at risk, Xinhua news agency reported.

OCHA said that the sole route provided by Israeli authorities for UN teams exiting the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing into Gaza is frequently disrupted by Israeli ground forces setting up ad hoc checkpoints, causing additional delays in aid delivery.

The office said that despite such challenges, the world body and its humanitarian partners continue to seize every opportunity to collect supplies from the Israeli-controlled crossings.

"The teams have managed to collect wheat flour, ready-to-eat rations, high-energy biscuits, nutrition items, hygiene kits and other critical supplies from the Israeli-controlled crossings," OCHA said.

The office said that "much of the food is taken by people en route, rather than reaching community-based distribution points," adding that "aid must be distributed at the community level" to ensure no one is left behind.

The United Nations and its partners insist on reaching Palestinians in need through community-based distribution points, numbering 400 across Gaza, rather than the four militarized Israeli and US-sponsored Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) hubs, due to chaos and gunfire erupting near them.

"OCHA urges the Israeli authorities to allow the consistent and simultaneous entry of large volumes of diverse humanitarian and commercial supplies through all crossing points and multiple routes," the office said.

Highlighting the difficulties aid workers face in coordinating movements across much of the Gaza Strip with Israeli authorities, OCHA said that only 47 per cent were fully facilitated, while 11 per cent were withdrawn by organizers, according to cumulative data from July 23 to 29.

"Unimpeded humanitarian access within Gaza is essential," the office said. "Without it, time and resources are wasted, lives are lost, and the response cannot match the scale of the needs."

--IANS

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