Third UN aid convoy of 20 trucks reaches Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens

A new aid convoy comprising 20 trucks has successfully entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt, according to Stéphane Dujarric, a United Nations spokesman. This marks the third such delivery since the reopening of the border crossing, following extensive diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.

Dujarric revealed this development during a briefing at the UN headquarters in New York. However, he highlighted that this aid, although crucial, only meets four percent of the pre-crisis daily needs for Gaza’s population, which exceeds two million.

Over the weekend, a total of 34 trucks, supported by the UN and the Egyptian Red Crescent, entered the enclave. The UN has emphasized that to address the escalating humanitarian crisis, at least 100 aid trucks daily are required.

The situation in Gaza has reached a critical juncture. UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) warned that it is on the verge of running out of fuel within three days, posing a severe threat to the humanitarian response in the region. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, stressed that without fuel, essential services like water supply, healthcare facilities, and bakeries will cease to operate, impacting the lives of Gaza’s children, women, and population in general.

This dire situation is further exacerbated by the plight of over 625,000 children in Gaza who have been deprived of education for at least 12 days, with 206 schools sustaining damage, including 29 UNRWA-run institutions.

The crisis isn’t confined to Gaza alone; in the occupied West Bank, the escalation has led to restrictions on access to education. All schools in the territory were closed from October 7 to 9, affecting around 782,000 students. As of last week, more than 230 schools serving approximately 50,000 students had not yet reopened.

In response to the escalating conflict in Israel and Palestine, the spokesperson for the president of the UN General Assembly confirmed that the 10th Emergency Special Session on Israel and Palestine will reconvene on Thursday. This session, officially titled ‘Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,’ allows the UN’s entire membership to make recommendations for collective measures during times of crisis.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk underscored the pressing need for a comprehensive humanitarian ceasefire in both Gaza and Israel. He emphasized the need for immediate action to halt the loss of civilian lives, particularly children, and to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, characterized by overcrowding and the spread of diseases. Türk called for prompt and effective humanitarian aid delivered throughout Gaza based on need, devoid of arbitrary criteria.