Tent camp in Gaza. Gaza: Humanitarian needs in the strip are enormous Humanitarian assistance
Amid negotiations on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip associated with US President Donald Trump’s newly created Peace Council, UN humanitarian agencies on Friday emphasized that the main thing that Gazans need today is humanitarian assistance.
“It is critical to unblock congestion at checkpoints and reopen critical routes such as the Jordan corridor,” said UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Communications Director Juliet Tuma.
Speaking to reporters, Tuma noted that while the October 3 ceasefire agreement had brought some respite to families, “people continue to die – every day.”
She said Gazans’ most vulnerable residents simply “cannot wait” for a reconstruction plan to be developed, which is one of the stated goals of the Peace Council. In parallel with the discussion of the plan, large-scale operations to deliver aid should take place.
It remains unclear exactly how the UN will support the Peace Council. However, UN Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted last November and welcoming the creation of the Council, emphasized the importance of cooperation with the United Nations.
“We are very committed to doing everything possible to fully implement Security Council Resolution 2803,” said Alessandra Vellucci, director of the UN Information Service in Geneva.
“The UN has its own role – leading the delivery of humanitarian aid. We have been doing this for a very long time and will continue to do so to the best of our ability,” she added.
Since Sunday, humanitarian organizations have provided assistance to 13,000 families in Gaza, distributing hundreds of tents and tarpaulins, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The needs in the healthcare sector remain colossal. Organizations such as the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) are struggling to help approximately 15,000 patients a day, despite numerous challenges.
“Before the war started, we had 22 clinics throughout the Gaza Strip, now there are about six left,” UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler said.
“We have mobile medical teams, but they work in extremely difficult conditions,” he added.