“There is little information available on the details or how the agreement will be implemented. However, we call for all crossing points into Gaza to be opened immediately so that humanitarian supplies can flow to this war-torn enclave.“said Juliette Touma, communications director of the United Nations agency for the Palestinians, UNRWA.
His comments come as Israeli forces reportedly withdrew from parts of Gaza in accordance with an agreement between Israel and Hamas, negotiated this week in Egypt by US mediators and representatives from Qatar and Turkey.
Beating back starvation
“This UNRWA food is essential to prevent and control famine,” Ms. Touma stressed, while the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) identified 50,000 young people “at risk” suffering from acute malnutrition.
“They need to be treated immediately… with the ceasefire we hope we can get the therapeutic treatment they desperately need,” spokesman Ricardo Pires said.
Top UN aid official Tom Fletcher insisted On Thursday, “the entire UN humanitarian family” is mobilized to deliver aid to Gaza.
Speaking to journalists, he highlighted UNRWA’s “indispensable role” in distributing humanitarian supplies across the Gaza Strip, while emphasizing the central role assigned to the UN in US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, now being adopted.
Ongoing active conflict
Humanitarian teams still working in the enclave said the ceasefire had not come into effect as of Friday morning.
Nonetheless, vital humanitarian work continues, including a UNICEF mission to Gaza City on Thursday.to save two babies who were in incubators fighting for their lives“, said Mr. Pires.
“Thankfully, thanks to the hard work of colleagues and health workers on the ground, they survived and were reunited with their families today.”
The UNICEF spokesperson explained that the mission had to wait 15 hours to access Gaza City because “the situation on the ground was still very, very unstable and there was kinetic activity – a lot of violence.”
Echoing that assessment, UNRWA’s Touma noted that her colleagues in the enclave reported ongoing airstrikes on Friday morning.
Thousands of people are on the move following the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
The UN agency spokesperson also noted that more than 370 UNRWA personnel were killed during the conflict sparked by Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. “This is the highest death toll in the United Nations since its creation,” she added.
Joining the call for “unhindered” access to aid through “all possible routes”, the UN health agency (WHOSpokesman Christian Lindmeier stressed the need to resume urgent medical evacuations from Gaza to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as flexible funding “to boost the recovery.”
UN agencies have 170,000 tonnes of food, medicine and other supplies ready for delivery to Gaza.
The aim is to increase food provision in Gaza to reach 2.1 million people and some 500,000 people in need of nutritional support.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
