Thousands of displaced people in Gaza have flocked to the north of the enclave. UN humanitarian agencies mobilize to deliver aid to Gaza Humanitarian aid
Thousands of displaced people in Gaza streamed into the north of the enclave on Friday after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into force. The main road leading in this direction was crowded with people. All UN humanitarian agencies have been mobilized to assist the sector. They prepared 170 thousand tons of food, medicine and other goods for delivery to Gaza.
“There are almost no details about the agreement and its implementation yet. However, we call for the immediate opening of all crossings into Gaza so that humanitarian aid can flow freely into the war-torn enclave,” said UN Relief for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Director of Communications Juliet Tuma.
Her comments come amid reports that Israeli troops have begun to withdraw from parts of Gaza under agreements reached this week in Egypt brokered by the United States, Qatar and Turkey.
Fighting famine
“The food UNRWA delivers is critical to preventing famine,” Tuma said. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that about 50 thousand children in Gaza suffer from acute malnutrition and are at high risk.
“They require immediate treatment. We hope that with the ceasefire we can get them the therapeutic nutrition they desperately need,” UNICEF spokesman Ricardo Pires said. Gaza”.
Speaking to reporters, he emphasized UNRWA’s “indispensable role” in distributing humanitarian supplies throughout the sector and recalled the UN’s central role in US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.
Ceasefire under question
Despite claims of a ceasefire, humanitarian teams working in the enclave reported that fighting was still taking place on Friday morning. Nevertheless, UN operations continue.
So, on Thursday, a UNICEF team arrived in Gaza City to save two babies who were in incubators. “Thankfully, thanks to the efforts of our colleagues and medical workers on the ground, the children survived and were reunited with their families today,” Pires said.
He added that the team had to wait 15 hours to gain access to the city, since “the situation on the ground remained extremely unstable, clashes occurred.”
These reports were also confirmed by the leadership of UNRWA: according to agency officials, on Friday morning there were people in the enclave again Airstrikes have been recorded. Juliet Tuma also reported that during the conflict, which began after Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, more than 370 UNRWA personnel were killed. she.
Call for the resumption of medical evacuations
World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman Christian Lindmeier joined calls for “unhindered access for humanitarian aid throughout possible routes.”
He stressed the need to resume emergency medical evacuations from Gaza to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as flexible funding needed “for recovery.”