Limited Aid to Gaza: UN-Supported Efforts Begin, but Fall Short of Needs

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President Joe Biden has reached an agreement with Egypt’s President to send an initial fleet of 20 trucks carrying humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The Israeli government has agreed to temporarily lift its blockade, imposed following a Hamas offensive on October 7, to allow the aid through.

Various humanitarian organizations, including the Red Crescent Societies of Egypt and Palestine and the United Nations, are expected to supervise the operation. This is to ensure that the convoy’s supplies, entering via the Rafah Crossing on Egypt’s border with Gaza, are distributed to civilian populations and not armed groups.

Officials at the UN’s health division indicate hopes that the first portion of the aid will be delivered by Friday.

Contents of the Humanitarian Aid

United Nations bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Program (WFP), and UNICEF, often collaborate with the Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations to deliver essential goods to conflict zones.

During a recent media briefing, Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s head of emergency operations, outlined medical supplies that the organization aims to deliver via five trucks. The list includes kits for amputation, intubation, and treating punctured lungs, along with wound dressings, anesthetics, and painkillers.

Martin Rentsch, a spokesman for the WFP, revealed that nearly 951 metric tons of food, sufficient to feed approximately half a million people for a week, are en route to the border. Items like high-energy biscuits and canned foods requiring no cooking are typically sent in such crisis situations.

Jan Egeland, chief of the Norwegian Refugee Council, underscored the humanitarian nature of the aid, stating, “The objective is to save lives, particularly those of children, pregnant women, and families.”

Distribution Mechanism

The aid delivery protocol, negotiated between Egypt and Israel, includes pre-inspection of the aid trucks by UN observers. Additionally, UN flags will be hoisted on both sides of the Rafah crossing to deter Israeli airstrikes, according to unnamed sources.

Debates are ongoing between Egyptian and Israeli officials regarding the inclusion of fuel in the aid convoy, as it is vital for powering hospital generators and water treatment plants. Israel aims to prevent the misappropriation of fuel by Hamas.

After gaining entry into Gaza, the convoy will cautiously proceed through areas damaged by bombings to distribute the aid at predetermined locations, including some hospitals that have already been targeted.

Scale of Aid Relative to Need

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), approximately 3,000 metric tons of goods are currently held in Egypt near the Gaza border. In contrast, the UN states that last year, 60% of Palestinians in Gaza required humanitarian aid.

Dr. Michael Ryan of WHO pointed out that the 20 trucks represent a mere fraction of what is needed in Gaza, stating, “What is currently planned is woefully inadequate given the magnitude of need.”

During a visit to Cairo, UN Secretary-General António Guterres renewed his call for a humanitarian ceasefire and insisted that continuous access for aid is essential. “Civilians in Gaza are in desperate need of basic services and supplies, for which rapid and unhindered humanitarian access is required,” he stated.

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Reported by Keaten from Geneva. Contributions from Samy Magdy in Cairo.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

More about Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

• United Nations Humanitarian Aid
• World Health Organization: Emergencies and Aid
• World Food Program: Crisis Response
• Red Crescent Societies
• U.S. Foreign Policy on Humanitarian Aid
• Egyptian Foreign Policy
• Israeli Humanitarian Aid Operations
• Hamas and Gaza
• Norwegian Refugee Council
• OCHA: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs