UNITED NATIONS, Oct 17 (APP): The United Nations humanitarian relief chief has urged Israel to open all entrances to Gaza to allow a surge of aid into the devastated enclave.
Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, told CBC News, a leading American tv channel, from El-Arish, Egypt, after visiting the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza that “It was quite an emotional visit for me.”
“Because for months and months, our supplies have been piling up. And we’ve been desperate to get them moving, desperate to see those lorries heading into Gaza.”
Humanitarian aid has begun flowing but Fletcher says it needs to scaled up dramatically with “thousands of trucks a week” carrying food, medicine and other supplies into the territory.
Fletcher says shipments of aid have been moving into Gaza via two crossings in Israel, at Kerem Shalom and Kissufim. But he says other crossings, including Rafah, need to be opened to ensure civilians get the help they need.
“We want to see Rafah opened. We want to see all the crossings opened. You know, aid can never be a bargaining chip. That’s not just me saying that. That’s the rules. That’s the law,” Fletcher said.
But Israel has said that humanitarian aid will not be allowed through Rafah. “This was never agreed upon at any stage,” the Israeli statement said.
Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned food aid cannot reach everyone in Gaza unless all border crossings are opened, particularly in the north where famine was declared in August.
The agency says it already has enough supplies in place to feed the entire population of the Strip for three months – if full access is granted by Israel.
One week into the fragile ceasefire, WFP has been bringing in an average of 560 tonnes of food each day.
“The ceasefire deal has opened a narrow window of opportunity, and WFP is moving very quickly to scale up food assistance and reach families who have endured months of blockade, displacement and hunger,” said Abeer Etefa, WFP Senior Regional Communications Officer and Spokesperson for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Ms. Etefa said teams and supply networks were fully mobilised.
“We’re still below what we need, but we’re getting there,” she noted. Five food distribution points are now operating across Gaza, focusing on women and children. “Our goal is to expand to 145 distribution points across all of Gaza—that’s the scale we’re aiming for,” she added.
Aid agencies stress that sustained access and multiple crossings are essential to reach everyone in need. Only two crossings are currently open, and those in the north remain closed, restricting deliveries to the hardest hit areas.
“Roads are blocked and destroyed. This is a huge limitation to transport,” Ms. Etefa said.
Because of access and security constraints, no food distributions have yet taken place in Gaza City, only nutrition supplies for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), said the northern crossings remain closed “because the Israeli authorities have not opened them”.
He added that road repairs and clearance of unexploded ordnance are also essential for safety and access. “It is very important to have these openings in the north, as that is where the famine took hold,” he said.
According to WFP, 57,000 tonnes of food are already pre-positioned in Egypt, Jordan and inside Israel, with plans to scale up to 170,000 tonnes – enough for 1.6 million people over three months. “Beyond that, we need to maintain at least three months of stocks at all times,” Ms. Etefa said.
On 16 October, 950 trucks entered Gaza, including eight carrying fuel and three carrying gas, according to OCHA. Around of third of them passed through UN-coordinated mechanisms.
UN Women’s Chief of Humanitarian Action, Sofia Calltorp, urged the international community on Friday to turn Gaza’s fragile ceasefire into a recovery led by women and girls.
“We have heard from so many women and girls across Gaza since the ceasefire began – a mix of fragile hope, deep exhaustion and quiet strength,” she said.
“For the first time in months, some can seek care, receive aid and sleep without the sound of airstrikes. But hope, on its own, is not enough.”
Ms. Calltorp stressed that over one million women and girls need food aid and a quarter of a million require urgent nutrition support. “This ceasefire is our window to deliver fast, to stop famine where it has begun and prevent it where it looms,” she said.