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U.N. warns aid deliveries to Gaza are failing as civilians are harmed at distribution points
Summary
The U.N. described repeated denials of humanitarian movements, critical fuel shortages, and attacks on civilians seeking food in Gaza; the secretary-general and U.N. agencies urged unimpeded access and called for a ceasefire and safe delivery of aid.
United Nations officials on Tuesday warned that humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip continue to be hampered by access denials, restrictions on cargo and heavy shortages of fuel and shelter supplies, and said civilians seeking food have been killed or injured at distribution points.
In a statement read by the U.N. spokesperson Farhan, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that “attacks on civilians in Gaza have continued, including the reported killing and injury of people seeking food and other aid.” The spokesperson also said partners reported that children were temporarily separated from their families during mass movements near militarized distribution points and that partners were working to reunite and reduce risk for children.
OCHA reported recent operational difficulties: telecommunications cables had been repaired after prior access denials, but outages recurred in Central and Southern Gaza and required urgent repairs; fuel stocks were “critically low,” with diesel nearly exhausted in the south and partners rationing supplies; and humanitarian movements remained frequently denied — the U.N. said seven of 17 coordination requests were refused on a recent day. The spokesperson said over 50 truckloads were sent to the Kerem Shalom crossing after Israeli authorities approved them, but heavy restrictions remained on what and how much may enter.
The U.N. said shelter materials have been barred from entry for more than 100 days, raising concern that displaced people will lack replenishable shelter items as they are forced into repeated displacement. The spokesperson warned that humanitarian, banking and communications activities in Gaza “may halt very soon” unless fuel supplies resume or the U.N. is enabled to retrieve stocks inside the Strip that require coordination with Israeli authorities.
Asked about specific schemes for distributing aid, the U.N. spokesperson reiterated that U.N. experts had warned some recent distribution approaches were not workable. He said the secretary-general had “made it clear” that unimpeded humanitarian deliveries through established crossings are the solution and reiterated calls for an immediate permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and “rapid, safe, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance.”
Ending note: U.N. agencies continued to press for access and for donor support to sustain operations as needs rise; the spokesperson said more details and the full statements are being issued by U.N. offices.
