UN scales up humanitarian response in Gaza as ceasefire offers respite

The ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza is providing a critical window of relief for Palestinians in the war-torn enclave, as UN agencies ramp up the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Wednesday that large volumes of aid continue to flow into Gaza through the Erez and Zikim crossings in the north, and Kerem Shalom in the south – reaching areas that had been inaccessible during the conflict.

Humanitarian partners on the ground also noted significant improvements in operations with the return of law and order following periods of intense looting of convoys by criminal gangs, enabling aid organizations to scale up their efforts.

Supplies reach thousands

In central and southern Gaza, monthly food distributions have resumed, providing full rations to affected families, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists at the regular press briefing in New York.

On Wednesday alone, 118 trucks carrying food parcels and flour from UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warehouses were transported to over 60 distribution points in the south.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also dispatched high-energy biscuits and ready-to-use food, enough to feed thousands of infants.

Medical support

Medical assistance is also surging in, with partners distributing medical disposables and trauma kits to 14 hospitals and reproductive health kits to 28 facilities, enough for about 58,000 people.

Fuel deliveries, vital for sustaining critical infrastructure, have resumed. Seven trucks of fuel were delivered to northern Gaza on Wednesday, marking the first such shipment since the ceasefire began.

These supplies are powering backup generators for water wells, desalination plants, and sewage pumps, as well as facilities operated by UN agencies such as UNRWA and the World Health Organization (WHO), and partners.

In Gaza City, two of UNRWA’s primary health service points – the Beach health centre and Daraj medical point – reopened, offering much-needed access to medical care.

Displacement and lingering challenges

Despite these efforts, the humanitarian situation remains dire.

OCHA reported that most Palestinians are still forced to live in displacement sites, unable to return home due to widespread destruction, deadly explosive ordnance, or restrictions on movement to the north.