More than 37,000 tonnes of UN humanitarian aid have entered Gaza since the ceasefire began on October 10, according to a UN spokesperson who criticised the slow pace at which barriers to aid delivery are being lifted.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that, despite progress in increasing humanitarian operations, “the urgent needs of the population remain immense, with restrictions not being lifted quickly enough since the start of the ceasefire,” said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General.
According to Haq, between the start of the truce and Monday, the UN and its partners had gathered more than 37,000 tonnes of aid at Gaza’s crossing points, mostly consisting of food. This figure does not include bilateral aid or commercial deliveries.
However, access remains limited to just two crossing points, with no direct routes between Israel and northern Gaza or between Egypt and southern Gaza. Certain goods and humanitarian workers are still being denied entry, the UN added.
These 37,000 tonnes are still far below the 190,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies — including food and medicine — that the UN had pre-positioned outside Gaza for a planned 60-day relief operation following the start of the ceasefire. The program aims to support the population of the enclave, which has been devastated by two years of conflict since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
