The UN's World Food Programme said it had been able to move close to 3,000 tonnes of food supplies into the war-shattered Palestinian territory since the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold.
"It's going to take some time to scale back the famine" declared by the UN in late August, WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa told a media briefing in Geneva.
"The ceasefire has opened a narrow window of opportunity. WFP is moving very quickly and swiftly to scale up food assistance and reach families who have endured months of blockade, displacement and hunger."
Etefa said WFP had five food distribution points up and running across the Gaza Strip, mostly in the south, but wanted to get to 145.
She said the WFP had been able to use the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings in recent days.
From Saturday until Wednesday, around 230 trucks with 2,800 tonnes of food supplies crossed into Gaza, said Etefa.
The spokeswoman said 57 trucks in two convoys, carrying wheat flour and nutrition supplies, crossed in on Thursday and reached WFP's warehouses intact, ready for distribution.
"We're still below what we need but we're getting there," she said.
As of Wednesday, nine bakeries were running, with WFP working on getting 30 going throughout the Gaza Strip.
"Bread is extremely important. The smell of fresh bread in Gaza is more than nourishment: it's a signal that life is returning," said Etefa.
She called for all land crossings into the Palestinian territory to be opened up "so that we can flood Gaza with food supplies".
"The faster we can move aid in, the more lives we can reach quickly," she added.
WFP is starting its distribution of nutrition supplies in Gaza City.
"We are trying to push back on famine, especially for families returning home in the north of Gaza," said Etefa.
WFP's plan is to scale up to reach 1.6 million people inside Gaza over the next three months.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has previously said humanitarian aid enough to last three months is piled at border crossings but is not allowed entry by Israeli authorities.
It has frequently warned of a “man-made” famine under Israel's blockade, noting some food aid was reaching Gaza but “is insufficient to meet the enormous needs” of the population.
On Tuesday, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urged that all crossings into Gaza be opened to allow vital aid through the Israeli blockade. “Because of the huge needs, all entry points must be open,” said ICRC spokesman Christian Cardon.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), added: “Some crossings remain partially destroyed, and road clearance inside Gaza is critical to allow trucks with food, medical aid, fuel and water to get through. We are calling for those repairs to be made urgently.”
Despite the ceasefire, aid deliveries have fallen far short of agreed targets. On Monday 13 October, just four days after the truce began, Israel allowed only 173 aid trucks into Gaza -- well below the 600 trucks pledged daily. Aid entry was suspended for two days -- 13 and 14 October -- due to captive exchange negotiations and a Jewish holiday.
On 15 October, Israel’s coordination body, COGAT, informed humanitarian groups it would only permit 300 trucks per day -- half the agreed amount. The decision followed Israel’s accusations that Hamas delayed returning the bodies of Israeli captives, though COGAT did not clarify whether this was the direct cause.
The UN declared a famine in Gaza on 22 August, warning that 500,000 people faced “catastrophic” conditions. Israel’s total blockade since March has severely restricted aid, with deliveries only trickling in since late May.
“The real theft of aid since the beginning of the war has been carried out by criminal gangs, under the watch of Israeli forces,” said Jonathan Whittall of OCHA.
Laerke said 190,000 tonnes of aid are ready to enter Gaza. UNICEF spokesman Ricardo Pires said the UN children’s agency has 1,370 trucks prepared but stressed: “The level of destruction is so huge that it will take at least 600 trucks a day, which is the aim we have -- and we’re far from that.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) also highlighted the urgent need for medical supplies. “Pressure on hospitals will not ease overnight,” said WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic. “Since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October, we have brought in eight trucks with medical supplies, but much more is needed immediately.”
Delivering aid remains complicated by ongoing displacement. Over the weekend, some 310,000 Palestinians moved from southern to northern Gaza, while 23,000 moved in the opposite direction, said Laerke.
The UN development agency described Gaza’s destruction as “almost beyond comprehension.” Jaco Cilliers, UNDP special representative for assistance to the Palestinian people, said: “The debris alone could fill Central Park up to 12 metres high, equivalent to 13 Great Pyramids of Giza. This destruction is devastating and clearing the rubble is vital to delivering aid.”
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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