More than 1,000 humanitarian aid pallets enter Gaza, says UN

United Nations: Despite significant delays introduced at a new Israeli checkpoint, aid partners collected more than 1,000 pallets of essential supplies for Gaza in one day, UN humanitarians have said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Wednesday, June 3, said the pallets collected at the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing on Tuesday included hygiene kits, tarpaulins, blankets and medicine.

OCHA said convoys travelling to Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem to collect humanitarian cargo through the newly established southern Gaza checkpoint are still experiencing significant delays.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), congestion at the new checkpoint prevented six fuel tankers from reaching Kerem Shalom, which significantly reduced the volume of fuel that could be collected from the crossing,” OCHA said. “A steady flow of fuel is critical to keep hospitals, desalination plants and other life-sustaining services running in the absence of a functioning electricity grid.”

The Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing is the sole access point for humanitarian cargo into Gaza, reports Xinhua News Agency.

On the health front, OCHA said that during the last two weeks of May, nearly 100 patients and more than 130 caregivers evacuated Gaza through the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Rafah crossings, with support from the World Health Organization and partners.

However, the office said that thousands of patients, many suffering from life-changing injuries, still require specialised medical care not available in Gaza. Referral pathways to medical facilities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, remain blocked by the Israeli authorities.

“Scaling up health services in Gaza is urgently needed, and this requires facilitating the entry of more critical equipment and medical supplies,” OCHA said.

Humanitarian partners focusing on water reported that the overall water production in Gaza dropped by about 20 per cent in May compared with two months earlier, largely due to shortages of chemicals and spare parts.

OCHA called once again for the sustained entry of spare parts, pumps, pipes, engine oils and water treatment chemicals to ensure water and other critical services reach people in need across Gaza.