UN calls to lift restrictions immediately to deliver more aid to Gaza

United Nations officials reported that the rain, floods, and severe cold in the Gaza Strip have exacerbated the situation in the area, emphasizing the urgent need to lift restrictions immediately to deliver more humanitarian aid.

Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated in a post on X platform, "The Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from cold and dampness after the recent rains, and frustration is growing as flood levels rise and what little property they have left is destroyed."

Fletcher pointed out that the UN and its partners are working to provide assistance, but the need is much greater, calling on Israel to urgently lift the remaining restrictions to deliver more aid.

On another note, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said at a press conference held on Tuesday evening at the UN headquarters that "humanitarian aid workers from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continue to distribute tents, plastic sheets, and other essential relief materials to families affected by the rains."

Haq added that in this context, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has allocated $18 million from the Humanitarian Fund for the Occupied Palestinian Territory to support vital operations throughout Gaza.

He explained that the heavy rains and winter conditions have worsened the difficult living conditions in Gaza, noting that this funding will allow for the advancement of projects related to basic needs such as food, water, health, and shelter in the area.

In recent days, a low-pressure system accompanied by winds and rain has hit the Gaza Strip, causing tens of thousands of tents housing displaced persons to flood, leaving them without their last remaining shelter and belongings, after Israel destroyed their homes over two years of extermination.

The number of displaced persons in the Gaza Strip is estimated by the government media office to be 1.5 million Palestinians, living in a tragic reality due to the lack of basic living conditions and difficulty accessing essential supplies and vital services due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.

Most of these displaced persons have taken refuge in damaged tents, while the government office estimated at the end of September that the percentage of tents no longer suitable for habitation reached about 93%, with 125,000 tents out of 135,000.

Over nearly two years of extermination, tens of thousands of tents have been damaged due to Israeli bombardment that directly hit them or targeted their surroundings, while some have deteriorated due to natural factors such as high summer temperatures and rain and winds in winter.

With the flooding of these tents, Palestinian displaced persons have no alternative places for shelter, as Israel has destroyed 90% of the civil infrastructure over the past two years, with initial losses estimated at around $70 billion.

Israel also refuses to allow the entry of alternative shelter, evading its obligations outlined in the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10.

This agreement halted a genocide that left more than 69,000 Palestinian martyrs and over 170,000 injured, most of whom are children and women.

On a daily basis, Israel violates the agreement, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of hundreds of Palestinians.