The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, “The amount of food and other aid entering Gaza, which was already insufficient to meet growing needs, has decreased further since May 7.”
The office stated that from May 7 until Tuesday, the average of trucks arriving in Gaza reached 58 trucks per day, compared to a daily average of 176 aid trucks during the period from April 1 to May 6, which represents a decrease of 67 percent, explaining that this The number does not include private sector goods and fuel.
The United Nations has long said that at least 500 trucks a day of aid and commercial goods need to enter the Strip.
Since the outbreak of the war about eight months ago, aid provided to the Gaza Strip’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians has mainly entered through two crossings into southern Gaza: the Rafah crossing from Egypt and the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel.
But the introduction of aid has witnessed turmoil since Israel intensified its military operations in Rafah. Egypt closed the Rafah crossing due to threats to humanitarian activities, but agreed on Friday to temporarily send the accumulated aid and fuel through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
OCHA said aid trucks had diminished “due to the closure of the Rafah crossing, the inability to safely and continuously transport goods from the Kerem Shalom crossing, as well as limited deliveries through other entry points.”
Israel’s Deputy Representative to the United Nations, Jonathan Miller, told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that Israel is waging a war against Hamas, not against civilians in Gaza.
He added, “This is why Israel is committed to facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza from every possible entry point. Despite Hamas firing rockets at the Kerem Shalom crossing, it is operating at full capacity and aid trucks continue to enter.”
Operations to transport aid by sea from Cyprus to a floating dock built by the United States in Gaza began on May 17. However, the United States announced on Tuesday the temporary removal of the pier after part of it separated.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that no aid entered Gaza from the dock on Monday and Tuesday.
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