Many families are returning to devastated neighborhoods where unstable buildings and unexploded ordnance pose life-threatening risks.
“Water, food and essential services are still severely lacking“, OCHA said, as humanitarian partners race to meet growing demand amid widespread destruction.
Help is coming
Aid continues to arrive in Gaza, with more than 300 truckloads of supplies collected from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing between Friday and Saturday.
The cargo included thousands of pallets of wheat flour, canned food, rice and provisions for hot meals, as well as medical equipment, tents, tarpaulins and winter clothing.
While data on Sunday’s deliveries is still being compiled, the UN confirmed that hygiene kits, postpartum kits and shelter materials entered the Gaza Strip.
THE United Nations Office for Project Services which provides comprehensive emergency services (UNOPS) also distributed some 329,000 liters of diesel to keep hospitals, telecommunications and food operations running.
Hot dishes and bread
Humanitarian partners, working with 170 community kitchens, have now provided more than a million hot meals, mainly in southern and central Gaza.
In Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and Gaza City, 15 UN-supported bakeries produce tens of thousands of bales of bread daily, distributed free to shelters and communities across hundreds of sites.
Teams are also expanding their work to reduce risks from unexploded ordnance – largely caused by the Israeli offensive – as people begin to return home.
During the weekend, nearly 3,200 people in central and southern Gaza received security briefings. Since October 2023, according to OCHA, 150 incidents linked to explosive munitions have resulted in casualties, particularly among children.
Olive grove attacks: West Bank
In the occupied West Bank, OCHA reported continued violence linked to the olive harvest season, which began on October 9.
More than 85 settler attacks on Palestinian farmers and their land have disrupted harvests, injuring more than 110 people and damaging more than 3,000 trees in 50 villages.
Seventeen attacks were recorded last week, mainly in the Ramallah governorate. “These repeated incidents have devastated livelihoods and heightened fears among farming communities.“, said OCHA.
Despite the influx of aid, the UN warns that Gaza’s humanitarian needs remain overwhelming, with food, water and shelter still woefully inadequate as families risk everything to return home.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
