The United Nations has warned that Israel’s recent humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza are insufficient to address the scale of the ongoing crisis. Aid chief Tom Fletcher said that while Sunday’s shipments marked a beginning, they represented only a fraction of what is required to meet civilian needs.
During a 42-day ceasefire earlier this year, between 600 and 700 trucks of aid entered Gaza daily. By contrast, Israel reported sending just 120 trucks on Sunday. UN officials say this shortfall leaves hundreds of thousands of residents facing severe hunger and rising desperation.
Fletcher described the coming days as critical, urging Israel to allow faster, sustained deliveries and to provide UN teams with secure access and the permits needed to operate. He noted that much of Sunday’s aid, including flour and food staples, was looted by desperate civilians as trucks crossed into Gaza.
The UN believes it could reach nearly the entire population with life-saving assistance within two weeks if logistical and security barriers were removed. Fletcher also called for humanitarian pauses lasting weeks or months rather than days, arguing that only a sustained ceasefire would prevent widespread starvation and stabilize the region.
UN officials also raised concerns about the role of the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, urging distribution based on humanitarian principles to ensure aid reaches civilians rather than armed groups. The UN emphasized its experience in safely delivering aid through local community networks and kitchens, limiting diversion and prioritizing the most vulnerable populations.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with food insecurity escalating rapidly. Fletcher described conditions as a “21st-century atrocity” and warned that without immediate changes to aid access and delivery systems, hunger and instability will worsen, risking long-term consequences for both Gaza and the broader region.
Source: BBC, The Guardian