"Urgent we get that assistance distributed": UN as supply trucks enter Gaza

The United Nations UN on Tuesday local time stated that while the first trucks carrying food and other supplies had entered Gaza after an 11week blockade the aid is yet to be distributed due to logistical challenges imposed by Israels onground military operations During a briefing Stephane Dujarric Spokesperson for the UN SecretaryGeneral emphasised the urgent need to distribute these supplies calling the current influx a drop in the ocean given the massive humanitarian crisis in the regionHe highlighted that the deprivation in Gaza exacerbating the humanitarian crisis was driven by ongoing bombardments blockade and recurrent displacement Turning to the situation in the Gaza Strip the first trucks of vital baby food are now inside Gaza after 11 weeks of total blockade and it is urgent that we get that assistance distributed We need much much more to cross Dujarric statedThis is a drop in the ocean of whats required to address the massive scale of humanitarian needs The deprivation we are seeing in Gaza is the result of ongoing bombardments blockade and recurrent displacement he added According to Dujarric the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA on Tuesday detailed that the UN sent flour medicines nutrition supplies and other essentials through the Israeli fence into the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing with baby formula and other nutrition supplies being sent on MondayHe noted that Israeli requirements to offload and reload supplies separately after securing access have delayed distribution with UN teams waiting hours for clearance to collect the itemsThe Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA says that today the UN is sending flour medicines nutrition supplies and other basics through the Israeli fence into the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom Yesterday we managed to get in baby formula and other nutrition supplies Today our team waited several hours for the Israeli green light to access Kerem Shalom and collect the nutrition supplies Just to make it clear while more supplies have come into the Gaza Strip we have not been able to secure the arrival of those supplies into our warehouses and delivery points the UN official clarifiedEarlier today the UN was granted approval by Israel to send an additional 93 aid trucks into the Gaza Strip as reported by Times of Israel citing a spokesperson from the UNs humanitarian office and Israeli officialsCompounding the crisis Dujarric further stated that water and sanitation services across Gaza were severely disrupted due to fuel shortages with no fuel currently available in northern Gaza and with only half the required weekly supply received last week leading to nearly depleted reserves and reduced operating hours for water wells with complete shutdowns imminent He stated that in southern Gaza water utilities have received no fuel despite needing 140000 litres weekly to maintain operationsThe partners providing water and sanitation services report that their operations continue to be severely disrupted across the Strip due to the ongoing fuel shortages In the northern part of Gaza no fuel is currently available and only half of the required weekly supply was received last week As a result fuel reserves are nearly depleted Operating hours for water wells have been further reduced and complete shutdowns are imminent In southern Gaza water utilities have not received any fuel although 140000 litres per week are needed to maintain operations the Spokesperson addedThe blockade which began on March 2 followed Israels onground military operations Gideons Chariots in the region launched on May 17 aimed at conquering Gaza retaining the territory moving the Palestinian civilian population toward the south of the Strip attacking Hamas and preventing the terror group from taking control of humanitarian aid suppliesEarlier on Monday acting on the recommendations from the IDF Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet agreed to allow a basic quantity of food after the blockade in Gaza that has brought Palestinians to the edge of famine as reported by Euronews Meanwhile the UK France and Canada jointly condemned Israels expanded military operations in GazaThe European leaders criticised the intolerable human suffering in Gaza Israels restrictions on humanitarian aid and settlement expansions in the West Bank threatening further action including sanctions if Israel does not halt its offensiveThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoeveratOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params