
People gather to collect humanitarian aid after trucks arrived in the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom crossing, also known as Karem Abu Salem. AFP
“The surge in supplies entering Gaza each day and the return of law and order has allowed aid organizations to significantly scale up the delivery of life-saving assistance and services,” the U.N. said.
At least 653 aid trucks entered Gaza on Thursday, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, known as OCHA.
The aid itself is supplied by the U.N., nongovernmental organizations, other countries and the private sector.
Seven trucks of fuel were delivered to northern Gaza by U.N. humanitarian partners for the first time since the ceasefire, OCHA said. The fuel delivered to 20 health facilities in Gaza City would be enough to keep them running for about a week, it said.
Since the ceasefire, OCHA said most trucks entering Gaza carried food, but more medicine, shelter materials, water and sanitation supplies are expected in the coming days.
Across southern Gaza, the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF is giving out high-energy biscuits and ready-to-use food — enough for thousands of infants.
Also Wednesday, U.N. partners in southern Gaza distributed medical items and kits for trauma management kits to 14 hospitals.
The resurgence of aid follows a 15-month-long siege imposed by Israel as part of its war on the Gaza Strip, denying residents essential supplies, including fuel, food, water, and medicine. The siege has sparked a dire humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory, putting hospitals out of service and pushing hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine.
Recently, the siege has been relaxed following a ceasefire brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US between Israel and Hamas earlier this month.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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