'It's a trickle - we need a flood,' warn aid agencies in north Gaza

"Around 560 tonnes of food have entered the Gaza Strip every day since the US-brokered ceasefire came into effect last Friday, but levels in the first week have been described as a "trickle - not the flood needed". UN humanitarian affairs chief Tom Fletcher has said thousands of aid vehicles would have to enter weekly to tackle widespread malnutrition, homelessness and a collapse of infrastructure."

"Israel threatened to keep the crossing shut and reduce aid this week, accusing Hamas of returning the bodies of hostages too slowly. On the first day of the ceasefire, more than 500 aid trucks entered Gaza, Israel said. But in a major setback, Israel's military aid agency COGAT this week said it would halve the number allowed in from 600 daily to 300."

"With Gaza's civilian population still facing hunger, the United Nations' World Food Programme warned that they were working in a "narrow window of opportunity" to scale up deliveries as others said millions of euro worth of aid was sat in warehouses waiting to go in. The issue is particularly impacting northern Gaza, where aid convoys are struggling to reach famine-hit areas."

Around 560 tonnes of food have entered Gaza each day since the ceasefire, a rate described as a trickle insufficient for urgent needs. Thousands of aid vehicles would be required weekly to address widespread malnutrition, homelessness and collapsed infrastructure. Queues of trucks are building at southern borders amid crossing closures and administrative hurdles, while the Rafah crossing has largely remained closed since 2023, blocking major NGO access. Israel has threatened to keep Rafah closed and reduce aid, and COGAT cut daily permissions from 600 to 300. Millions of euros of food and medicine sit in warehouses, with northern Gaza particularly cut off and Gaza City distributions not yet started due to closed crossings Zikim and Erez.

Read at Irish Independent