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UN: Gaza bakeries closed, aid entry suspended; UN demands answers after aid workers killed
Summary
UN agencies reported closures of WFP-supported bakeries in Gaza and a suspension of aid entry, while UN officials demanded investigations after humanitarian workers were killed during rescue operations.
United Nations officials reported an acute humanitarian deterioration in Gaza after aid entry into the Strip was suspended and World Food Programme-supported bakeries closed because of shortages of flour and cooking gas.
"WFP continues to prioritize food distribution with the remaining stocks, but the situation remains very critical," UN spokesperson Steph said, noting the cargo closure of crossings into Gaza began about a month earlier. She said the 25 bakeries that had been supported by WFP during the ceasefire all closed due to lack of flour and the unavailability of cooking gas.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that intensified hostilities, including air strikes and shelling, continue to cause civilian casualties and displacement. The spokesperson warned that displacement orders and restrictions leave civilians exposed to hostilities and deprive them of essential services.
On recovery operations, OCHA reported the conclusion of a week-long rescue operation in which teams recovered 15 bodies of emergency crews in Rafah. The UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Tom Fletcher, said the bodies belonged to emergency responders killed while attempting to save colleagues and demanded accountability: "we demand answers and justice," the briefing quoted him.
The briefing cited OCHA figures that, since October, hundreds of aid workers have been killed in Gaza; the spokesperson gave a figure of at least 408 aid workers killed since hostilities escalated. The UN said it would press for investigations into attacks on humanitarian workers and called for unimpeded access for life-saving assistance.
