GENEVA: The United Nations has raised the alarm over the severe Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid entering conflict-ravaged Gaza, describing the current situation as the worst since Israel’s war in the territory began over a year ago.
The devastating impact of the ongoing Israeli blockade is hitting Gaza’s children the hardest, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, warned on Tuesday.
“Day after day, the situation for children becomes worse than the day before,” said James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson, painting a grim picture of the conditions faced by Gaza’s youngest population.
Israel’s intensified military operations in northern Gaza have devastated large swathes of the territory since October 7 last year. The United Nations has repeatedly expressed concern over the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including children, trapped in the conflict zone.
Despite the urgent need for humanitarian assistance, Elder lamented that access to aid has deteriorated significantly. “August saw the lowest amount of humanitarian aid coming into the Gaza Strip since the conflict erupted,” he said.
“We now face what is probably the worst restrictions on humanitarian aid, ever,” he said.
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Earlier in the year, there were concerted efforts to establish new routes and access points to bring aid into Gaza amid mounting fears of a humanitarian catastrophe. However, Elder said those efforts have been reversed since May, with consistent blockages at entry points, cutting off vital supplies.
The northern part of Gaza has been particularly hard hit, Elder noted, pointing out that no food aid has been delivered to the area since the start of October. The combination of relentless Israeli air strikes, widespread evacuation orders impacting nearly 85% of the Gaza Strip, and a lack of essential supplies has rendered the territory “essentially unlivable,” he said.
