Food, medicine and fuel from UN reach northern Gaza
Emergency aid from the UN has reached the northern part of Gaza during the temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed on Tuesday.
The UN has sent ready-made meals, drinking water, tents, blankets and medicine to the conflict zone, along with fuel, water pump stations and products for the operation of desalination and sewage treatment plants.
Due to a lack of electricity, crucial infrastructure is unusable in many places. Until the temporary ceasefire began on Friday morning, there was insufficient fuel to run generators. Thanks to the delivery, the heavily damaged Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reportedly could reopen for kidney dialysis.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres described an extended truce between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas on Monday as "a glimpse of hope and humanity". While he hopes to increase aid during the humanitarian pause, he is aware of how much further relief is needed in Gaza, his spokesperson said. "This aid barely registers against the huge needs of 1.7 million displaced people. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is getting worse by the day."
After Hamas's terrorist attacks on October 7, the Israeli army warned of bombings in the northern Gaza region. Despite many residents leaving the area, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have remained there in harsh conditions.
Approximately 1.8 million of the 2.2 million Gazans are displaced. Around 1.1 million people are staying in overcrowded UN shelters, while another 190,000 people are camping in schools, event halls or community centres.
The UN estimates that about 46,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 234,000 damaged, accounting for a total of 60 per cent of the residences.
© PHOTO IMBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA/REUTERS
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