🔗 Share this article

Even if the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border becomes operational in the coming days, aid groups confront major obstacles delivering supplies to the northern region, the territory worst hit by food shortages, specialists report.

Access Problems

Primary highways are virtually unusable due to extensive devastation across the war-torn region – or remain controlled by security personnel. Any vehicle that breaks down is probably will be quickly plundered.

Zikim, the main entry point to the northern territories, devastated by 24 months of fighting, has been shut down for many days, and government representatives have informed aid groups in Gaza that there are no current intentions to open the border point, per reports from humanitarian staff.

Devastation in Gaza City

The main city was the focus of a large-scale military operation begun in August that was continuing when the temporary truce was agreed upon last week.

Damage in the northern region has been massive, with whole settlements including Beit Lahiya and adjacent communities in ruins as well as many of the peripheral zones of the main city.

"Any activation of a access route into Gaza is welcome, but we need to ensure we can help civilians where they are," commented a senior director from a humanitarian organization.

Relief Conditions

Witnesses said many of the roughly 300,000 people who have returned to the northern area from the crowded shelter regions where they had been staying during the military operations were now "staying" among the ruins of their homes, often without any protection and with limited supplies or resources.

An official from a UN agency said the destruction in northern Gaza was "devastating".

"It is neighborhood after neighborhood, home after home ... there is extreme need for clean water. It's pretty harrowing. We must have each access route functioning," the representative, who was in Gaza City in recent days, added.

Insufficient Access

A community leader based in the northern city said the needs in what used to be the region's thriving business and community focal point were "enormous".

"People have positive expectation and optimism but there needs to be rapid progress on the border points. There has been no substantial progress on the situation yet," the representative stated.

"There remains a insufficient volume of assistance [and] we are only starting to grasp the level of devastation. So many streets are just full of debris ... there is scarcely a building that is secure. There remains harm and unexploded bombs across the region."

Ongoing Changes

On Saturday, relief groups said modest volumes of essential fuel reached Gaza for the first instance in multiple months, along with deliveries of grain products, cereal and produce. The new supplies sent prices in markets falling.

Within a central community, a civilian said there had been certain progress since the peace agreement.

"The markets are full of products, produce, and fresh fruit, although the rates are remaining elevated and not affordable for everyone," the individual said.

Colder Months Requirements

"Our most important needs at present, particularly given the approach of winter, are to have a tent to shelter us from the cold and winter clothes because the shops do not have sufficient clothing for us or, if they are available, they are scarce and prohibitively costly."

Nine UN-supported bakeries in central and southern Gaza have resumed functioning since the ceasefire.

Assistance Delivery

Transport were stated to have entered the humanitarian corridor via the eastern border to Gaza during the week, though exact numbers were unknown.

Israel's public broadcaster announced that the day's assistance transports would include nutritional supplies, healthcare equipment, energy sources, propane and tools to repair essential services.

"Assistance resources remains flowing to the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing and other crossings after security checks," an Israeli security official stated.

Allocation Problems

But tracking the quantity of vehicles could be deceptive, warned a specialist from a humanitarian organization. "We need to know what is in the vehicles and their loading status for it to be a genuinely useful measurement," the official added.

Commercial operators are transporting groups of vehicles carrying confectionery, carbonated beverages and treats, which have poor dietary quality, while critical care for minors or people who have lacked proper sustenance for two years are scarce.

Healthcare Situation

Throughout the main city, only seven healthcare facilities are functioning, compared with numerous in July.

Numerous organizations have substantial resources in assistance materials warehoused around Gaza pending distribution. A UN agency assisting local residents across the territory for decades has multiple months of supplies of nutrition for everyone in Gaza prepared to be distributed.

"We maintain the materials, the tools and the capabilities ... we just need the access," said one aid worker, recently returned from Gaza.

Governmental Aspects

An international initiative outlines that "full" aid should be delivered to Gaza and be distributed through humanitarian bodies and relief organizations, without obstruction from both combatant organizations or state authorities.

This seems to prevent the debated Israel-backed humanitarian organization which started working in spring, resulting in chaotic scenes and numerous casualties as large groups of people gathered around its assistance centers.

Relief representatives in Gaza {told|informed