Trucks carrying aid which entered the Gaza Strip through the Karm Abu Salem crossing, drive past displacement tents at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. AFP
A fragile truce in Gaza, introduced under US President Donald Trump's plan, needs to see crossings opened to flood the famine-hit territory with aid, they said.
"That's what humanitarians, including ICRC, have been calling for in the last hours is making sure that, because of the huge needs, all entry points can be open," Red Cross spokesman Christian Cardon told reporters in Geneva.
The UN humanitarian agency OCHA's spokesman Jens Laerke added: "We need all of them open."
He acknowledged that not all of the crossings were currently "functional", with some "partially destroyed", while road clearance was needed inside Gaza to allow trucks in.
"We are calling for that to be repaired so that they can become operational," he said.
"We're advocating with everyone."
Laerke said Tuesday that the UN had 190,000 metric tonnes of aid waiting and ready to go into Gaza.
According to the UN's Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report dated 22 August 2025, famine (IPC Phase 5) has been confirmed in Gaza Governorate and is expected to spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by September’s end.
The report finds that over 500,000 people face catastrophic hunger, with another 1.07 million in emergency conditions. It projects that 132,000 children under five will suffer acute malnutrition by June 2026, including 41,000 severe cases, and that 55,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women need urgent nutrition support.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
Short link: