On Thursday, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher traveled to Rafah on the Gaza-Egypt border, calling the Rafah crossing a “vital lifeline for food, medicine, tents, and other lifesaving aid.” He emphasized the importance of the “collective international community” in aid delivery and mentioned his close communication with the White House, which is determined to allow large-scale aid delivery.
The UN agency supporting Palestine refugees, UNRWA, stated it has enough food outside Gaza to sustain the population for three months, but Israeli authorities are blocking entry despite the ceasefire. UNRWA spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna told UN News that the agency must be the “backbone” of relief efforts and excluding them would mean losing trust. Despite logistical capabilities, they cannot distribute food due to restrictions. UNRWA continues to work with around 12,000 staff in Gaza, including 8,000 teachers, and provides psychological support.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has over 1,300 truckloads of supplies ready, emphasizing the immense humanitarian needs. UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram described the challenges faced by relief teams in gaining access. Most homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, forcing families to return to devastation.
The UN aid coordination office OCHA noted that supplies must detour to the Kerem Shalom crossing for checks before reaching Gaza. Fletcher highlighted the need to open all crossings for a significant aid increase. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported some improvements in aid delivery: on Tuesday, partners distributed nearly 960,000 meals and UNICEF distributed over one million diapers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) delivered medical supplies to Gaza’s central pharmacy, which will be moved to Al-Shifa Hospital. WHO also deployed an emergency medical team to support surgery and trauma care. UN teams cleared roads leading to the Erez and Zikim crossings in anticipation of reopening.
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