“Our partners report that since the ceasefire, the Israeli authorities have rejected 107 requests for entry of relief materialsincluding blankets, winter clothing, as well as tools and equipment to maintain and operate water, sanitation and hygiene services,” UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York.
He said almost 90 percent of rejected applications came from more than 30 local and international non-governmental organizations or NGOs.
“More than half of the requests were refused on the grounds that the organizations were not authorized to bring relief items to Gaza,” he added.
Mr. Haq stressed that these restrictions continue to hamper humanitarian effortseven as the UN and its partners work to provide aid under the current 60-day plan.
Severe restrictions
“The UN and our partners will be able to do more when other obstacles are removed,” he said, noting that some discarded materials have been classified by Israeli authorities as outside the scope of humanitarian assistance or as “dual-use” items, such as solar panels, generators and vehicle parts.
Despite the still fragile ceasefire between Hamas militants and Israeli forces – who reportedly continue to control just over half of the Gaza Strip – the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to receive reports of military activities.
“Continuous detonations of residential buildings were reported daily in several areas where the Israeli army remains deployed,” Mr. Haq said, pointing to eastern Khan Younis, eastern Gaza City and Rafah on the southern border.
OCHA reminded the Israeli military of its obligation “to constantly ensure the sparing of civilians, including humanitarian workers, throughout its operations.”
Population movements across Gaza also remain fluid, with more than 680,000 people moving from south to north since the ceasefire began.
Stay in place
However, Mr Haq said that many displaced families “said they want to stay in their current locations, due to widespread destruction, lack of alternatives, and continued uncertainty about security and services in their areas of origin.”
Faced with these challenges, the UN and its partners have provided food, cash assistance and essential services to tens of thousands of households.
“The impact of scaling up humanitarian aid to Gaza is already clear,” Mr. Haq said, “but much more could be done if the remaining obstacles were removed.”
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
