
Humanitarian Aid Pouring Into Gaza But Massive Needs Remain: UN
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published January 22, 2025 | 12:30 AM

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Humanitarian aid is entering Gaza “at scale” in line with the ceasefire agreement that has seen Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners released and families reunited, but massive needs remain across the war- devastated enclave, UN officials said on Tuesday.
On day three of the ceasefire which entered into force on Sunday 19 January, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, welcomed the “surge” in lifesaving humanitarian assistance into the enclave, after 15 months of devastating Israeli bombardments.
Aid trucks began entering Gaza “a few minutes after the deal entered into force on Sunday,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke. “Up to now - these two first days of entry - there [have] been no reports of looting or attacks against aid workers.”
More than 900 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, as the truce held between Israel and Hamas fighters, according to the Israel authorities and the ceasefire’s guarantors, the US, Qatar and Egypt.
While the conflict raged, the aid lifeline to Gaza dwindled to as little as 50 trucks per day.“At long last, aid at scale is entering,” said Laerke. “At long last, more hostages were released and can be reunited with their families and at long last, women and minors were freed from detention. It’s a tremendous hope, fragile but vital; this deal must hold.”
Immediate priorities for Gazans include “getting food in, opening bakeries, getting healthcare, restocking hospitals, repairing water networks, repairing shelter, family reunification,” the OCHA spokesperson told journalists in Geneva. “A lot of the things that we have done throughout, but nowhere near at the scale needed.
And that is what we hope and work towards to be able to do now.”
UN humanitarians have long maintained that the entire population of Gaza – more than two million people – depends on such essentials. They include children, who account for about half of the Strip’s population, “with many surviving on just one meal a day”, OCHA said in an update.
“We have to – and we will – maximize delivery through this opening. Hunger is widespread, people are homeless; disease, injuries are rampant. Children are separated and there's a cloud of deep psychological trauma hanging over Gaza that needs to be dealt with.”
Urgent health needs must also be addressed across Gaza where one in two hospitals are not functional, others are only partially functional and the majority of health facilities have sustained damage, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
“The idea is as quickly as possible to try to provide health facilities to people of Gaza, focusing on emergency care, maternal and child health and other areas,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.
He added: “We should not forget other areas and that's 12,000 patients still need to be evacuated outside Gaza. We need to make sure that those people can go and receive medical care they need.
“We've been talking to 25,000 people [who] have sustained life changing injuries. These people need rehabilitation services that are not available right now.”
The head of communications for the UN agency that serves Palestine refugees, UNRWA told UN News, the world body's news service, in an interview on Tuesday they are committed to staying and delivering in Gaza.
Related Topics
Recent Stories

Manufacturing jobs hit lowest level in 12 years in Korea

5th Forum for Women in Research to kick off February 20

Brazil to host BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro in July

UK announces multibillion-pound plans to boost steel industry

At least 15 dead after stampede at New Delhi railway station

Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 16 February 2025

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 16 February 2025

Marmoush's hat-trick fires City to Newcastle victory; Arsenal keep title hopes a ..

Abu Dhabi welcomes warships from across the world for NAVDEX 2025

International Defence Conference 2025 kicks off tomorrow

UAE condemns attack on UNIFIL convoy in Lebanon

ADNEC Group prepares for largest edition of IDEX & NAVDEX
More Stories From World
-
UK's Starmer says Europe 'must take on a greater role in NATO'
1 hour ago -
UN chief warns against regional war over DR Congo at Africa summit
1 hour ago -
Tennis: Argentina Open ATP results
1 hour ago -
PSG edge out Toulouse as Marseille, Monaco win big in Ligue 1
1 hour ago -
Bellingham off but Real Madrid stay top after Atletico draw
1 hour ago -
Golf: PGA Genesis Invitational scores
1 hour ago
-
Tennis: ATP Delray Beach Open results - collated
1 hour ago -
Five-star Marseille, seven-up Monaco win big in Ligue 1
2 hours ago -
Brazilian teenager Fonseca into Argentina Open final
2 hours ago -
Tennis: Argentina Open ATP results - collated
2 hours ago -
Don't know who to vote for? Germany has an app for that: the Wahl-O-Mat
2 hours ago -
Football: French Ligue 1 table
9 hours ago