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UN says ceasefire expanded aid delivery in Gaza but closure of crossings threatens supplies
Summary
At a UN briefing, the spokesperson said the ceasefire enabled large-scale humanitarian access across Gaza, with UNICEF, WFP and partners delivering food, water and shelter; the closure of several cargo crossings since yesterday, however, has left thousands of aid consignments undelivered and risks reversing recent gains.
The United Nations spokesperson, Steph, told reporters that the secretary-general arrived in Cairo today and will use his attendance at the extraordinary Arab League Summit to press for a durable political horizon for Gaza while underscoring the immediate need to maintain humanitarian access.
Steph said the recent ceasefire had allowed the UN and partners to “scale up the delivery of lifesaving assistance” across Gaza but warned that the closure of the Karim Shalom, Erez and Zakeem crossings for cargo since yesterday has left vital consignments undelivered. "We must be allowed to access to deliver vital lifesaving aid. We need to get aid in and the hostages out," she said, quoting Tom Fletcher, the UN emergency relief coordinator.
Why this matters: The closure of Gaza cargo crossings threatens the flow of food, water, medical supplies and shelter materials that the UN and partners reported distributing during the ceasefire period. The UN described measurable recent gains in basic services and relief distribution that could be undone if access is not restored.
The briefing set out recent operational figures cited by UN agencies: UNICEF reported that since Jan. 19 nearly 1,000 UNICEF trucks had entered Gaza carrying clean water, medical supplies, vaccines, therapeutic food and other materials; partners said warm clothing had reached about 150,000 children and that daily water distribution increased for nearly half a million people in some more remote areas. The UN said nearly a quarter of a million children and thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers had received nutritional supplements since the ceasefire took effect.
Partners also reported sector-specific gains: more than 1,500 water-distribution points are operating across Gaza, roughly double the number at the start of the ceasefire; the World Food Programme has increased bakery operations, and more than 100 public schools have reopened, accommodating about 100,000 students in northern Gaza with tents and recycled pallets being used to create learning spaces.
The UN said its teams visited displacement sites in Khan Younis where about 1,200 people remain; those communities have not been allowed to return to homes inside the buffer zone and require food, water, shelter and sanitation assistance.
Tom Fletcher, the emergency relief coordinator, was cited in the briefing saying Israel’s decision to hold aid into Gaza “is indeed alarming,” and the UN repeated a call for those with authority over crossings to permit the unhindered delivery of assistance.
The spokesperson also described similar humanitarian concerns and responses in other countries: in Syria more than 650,000 people displaced since November remain displaced in governorates including Idlib and Aleppo; in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) armed raids on hospitals and the conversion of schools into military camps have disrupted services and displaced thousands; in Ukraine verified attacks on health facilities continue to threaten civilians and medical care.
The secretary-general is expected to emphasize at the Arab League Summit that “there is no sustainable reconstruction without a clear and principled political horizon,” Steph said, and the UN will share his remarks under embargo when available.
The briefing did not announce new measures or formal decisions; it focused on operational updates from humanitarian partners and a public appeal for crossings and routes to remain open to aid consignments.
