The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, flew to the Sinai Peninsula, in Egypt, this Friday (20), in an effort to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the Palestinian territory in the Gaza Strip , but it was not clear when the delivery of relief materials stored in Egypt would begin.
In Geneva, the UN humanitarian office said it was in advanced talks with all parties to the conflict to ensure that an aid operation can soon be carried out in Gaza.
The United States said details of a deal to send aid through the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza were still being worked out.
Washington previously said an agreement had been reached for the first 20 trucks to pass through, but UN officials say any aid delivery needs to be done at scale and in a sustained manner.
Before the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, which governs Gaza, around 450 aid trucks arrived daily.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people depend on humanitarian aid. The coastal enclave has been under a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt since Hamas took control of the site in 2007.
“We are in deep and advanced negotiations with all relevant sides to ensure that a relief operation in Gaza begins as quickly as possible and under the right conditions,” said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( Ocha, its acronym in English), told reporters in Geneva.
Remember: Dubai sends humanitarian aid to Gaza Strip
Israel’s siege and bombing of Gaza, launched in retaliation for a deadly Hamas incursion into Israel, has created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis there.
Laerke said Gaza is in urgent need of water, food, fuel and medical supplies.
Rafah is the only crossing for goods and people into Gaza that does not border Israel.
Efforts to get aid to Gaza have been complicated by the need to agree on a mechanism to inspect the aid and an effort to remove foreign passport holders from Gaza.
Roads leading to Gaza are being repaired after being hit by shelling over the past two weeks.
A UN official said more than 200 aid trucks were ready to be transported from Sinai to Gaza.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
