On Monday, the first aid trucks entered Gaza after nearly three months of Israel’s complete blockade, according to the UN.
According to Tom Fletcher, undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, nine trucks of aid, including baby food, have been cleared to enter the Gaza Strip via the Karem Abu Salem crossing.
“Today, nine of our trucks were cleared to enter,” Fletcher said in a statement on Monday.
“But it is a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed, and significantly more aid must be allowed into Gaza, starting tomorrow morning.
“The limited quantities of aid now being allowed into Gaza are, of course, no substitute for unimpeded access to civilians in such dire need. The UN has a clear, principled and practical plan to save lives at scale, as I set out last week.
Fletcher added, “We are ready to do so much more.”
Fletcher said to do more, they need the Israeli authorities to open at least two crossings, facilitate procedures and remove quotas, lift access impediments, not conduct attacks when deliveries are being made, and allow the full range of needs to be met – such as water, food, hygiene, shelter, fuel, gas and other needs.
“To reduce looting, there must be a regular flow of aid, and humanitarians must be permitted to use multiple routes. Commercial goods should complement the humanitarian response.”
