Convoy Of Hundreds Of Food Aid Trucks For Gazans Is Recorded

Relief Transport Trucks To Gaza/DOKmen WFP/Ali Jadallah

JAKARTA - The convoy of 109 trucks was looted 'cruelly' on November 16 after crossing into Gaza, resulting in the disappearance of 98 trucks.

This was conveyed by the UN Aid Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) officials to Reuters, Monday, November 18.

The convoy carrying food provided by UN UN UN UNRWA agencies and the World Food Program was instructed by Israel to depart in a short time via an unusual route from the Slamom crossing, Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Senior Emergency Official told Reuters.

"This incident highlights how severe the challenge of access in bringing aid to southern and central Gaza is," he said.

The United Nations previously said 85 percent of its efforts to coordinate aid convoys and humanitarian visits to northern Gaza were rejected or blocked by Israeli authorities last month.

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs Coordination (OCHA) said it had submitted 98 requests to Israeli authorities for permission to cross checkpoints along the Gaza Valley, but only 15 were granted, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, quoted fromWAFA.

Dujarric said OCHA was "concern about the fate of the remaining Palestinians in northern Gaza as the blockade continued and urged Israel to open the area to humanitarian operations as far as necessary given the enormous need."

Over the past three days, teams from OCHA, UN human rights agencies, mine disposal, and other humanitarian groups have visited nine locations in Gaza City to assess the needs of hundreds of displaced families, many of whom returned to northern Gaza, he explained.

In a new report published on Monday, OCHA said humanitarian organizations submitted 50 requests to Israeli authorities to enter northern Gaza in October, 33 of which were rejected and eight were accepted but faced obstacles, including delays, which prevented them from completing their duties, according to the spokesman.