UN Warns of Delay in Humanitarian Aid in Gaza

Illustration of the queue of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. (Twitter/@cogatonline)

JAKARTA - The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned this week that humanitarian aid in Gaza was delayed because aid cargo was routinely prioritized lower than commercial goods, as winter storms continued to worsen the already dire living conditions for refugee families.

"Despite the continued efforts of the UN and its partners. We continue to respond, but the needs exceed the speed of the response we can provide," said Olga Cherevko, a spokeswoman for OCHA, according to the UN News website, as quoted by WAFA (18/12).

He further explained that the volume of supplies entering the Gaza Strip is still limited, and the list of goods that continue to be blocked by the Israeli authorities is increasing, including heavy machinery, equipment, and spare parts needed to repair damaged infrastructure.

Cherevko revealed that major obstacles still persist.

"In Gaza, the number of routes available to transport aid is still limited, as is the crossing point through which supplies can enter," he said.

"All these obstacles must be removed," he said.

"We have the capacity to respond, but we are constrained when the needs of the community increase faster than our ability to meet them," Cherevko said.