Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in Gaza Amidst Fragile Ceasefire
The largest aid convoy since October 7 brought a glimmer of hope to Gaza on Friday, as 137 truckloads of aid and 129,000 liters of fuel reached the war-ravaged region during a humanitarian pause in hostilities. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the convoy included 200 trucks dispatched to the Rafah crossing, with 137 reaching the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Despite the massive effort, over 1.7 million people in Gaza remain internally displaced, with crowded UNRWA shelters struggling to accommodate the influx. Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA commissioner-general, painted a dire picture of the situation, describing streets in Rafah and Khan Younis as almost empty, with closed shops and pharmacies under constant bombardment.
The shelters themselves are likened to overcrowded prisons with unsanitary conditions, exacerbating health issues such as increased rates of skin diseases and diarrhea. The fragile four-day humanitarian pause provides a brief respite, but challenges persist in meeting the urgent needs of the people in Gaza.
