UN denounces obstacles to humanitarian aid in Gaza

Humanitarian aid remains limited in the Gaza Strip, as winter worsens the situation for thousands of families affected by Israeli aggression, the United Nations (UN) warned.

The organization noted that adverse weather conditions are exacerbating the crisis in the territory and endangering displaced people living in the open and refugees among the ruins.

This week, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that people are dying from the cold and that assistance is being delayed because priority is being given to commercial goods as winter storms intensify.

According to the UN, an estimated 1.3 million people need aid and shelter, but humanitarian workers cannot meet the needs of Gazans, which are growing daily while the entry of supplies remains severely limited.

Tents, shelter materials, and other basic supplies remain blocked by Israel, despite having waited months to enter and potentially protecting hundreds of thousands of affected people, the multilateral agency indicated.

OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherevko explained that at entry points, humanitarian aid is often prioritized over commercial goods, causing long waits.

This is compounded by irregular crossing schedules, delays in loading and unloading, and restrictions on certain items considered “blocked.”

Furthermore, administrative requirements imposed on non-governmental organizations prevent some aid from even leaving warehouses, she added.

Cherevko warned that the risks of hypothermia are very high, especially for infants, and lamented the inability to deploy the full response capacity of aid teams on the ground.