United Nations officials are urging sustained humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza, as the needs in the enclave are “far higher” than the 20 truckloads of supplies sent on October 21 through the Rafah crossing, the only border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
The trucks were loaded with medical aid, food and water donated by the Egyptian Red Crescent and UN organizations including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICE”. This batch of supplies, with no fuel as it is not allowed by Israel, headed to the southern part of Gaza.
The UNICEF provided about 44,000 bottled water in this batch of aid, only enough for some 22,000 Gaza residents for one day.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said on October 21 that the needs in Gaza are “far higher” than what the 20-truck convoy had delivered.
Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the WFP, urged “sustained, safe access” to supplies sent to Gaza to feed “millions of people that are dependent on emergency food”.
The UN said 100 trucks daily are needed to meet essential needs in Gaza, though McCain added that some 400 trucks were entering Gaza daily before the conflict.
Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said on Saturday that “I am confident that this delivery will be the start of a sustainable effort to provide essential supplies — including food, water, medicine and fuel — to the people of Gaza, in a safe, dependable, unconditional and unimpeded manner.”
(Inputs from Reuters)