UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe       Trucks carrying humanitarian aid wait to cross into Gaza from Egypt through Rafah.

October 22, 2023   Humanitarian Aid

More aid arrived in Gaza on Sunday aboard 14 trucks that passed through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, the UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator said in a post on social media.

In a statement published on X, formerly Twitter, Martin Griffiths described the supplies provided by the Egyptian Red Cross and the UN as “another glimmer of hope for the millions of people in dire need of humanitarian aid”, adding “but they need more, much more."

No details were provided about what was on the trucks.

Aid and access

On Saturday, an initial convoy entered Gaza, where more than two million people have been cut off from water, food, medicine, fuel and other essentials in the wake of the current hostilities.

The 20 trucks brought in desperately needed items such as medical supplies, tins of tuna and tomato paste, wheat flour, and enough drinking water for 22,000 people for a day. Hundreds more trucks are on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing awaiting entry.

The UN has been appealing for a continuous flow of aid to Gaza and for Hamas to release dozens of hostages seized during its deadly incursion into southern Israel on 7 October, igniting the crisis. 

Israel responded with continuous air strikes, a complete siege of Gaza, and orders for people to evacuate the northern part of the enclave. 

'True heroes' need protection

Humanitarians report that more than one million people are displaced in Gaza, water systems are at five per cent of normal capacity, and hospitals are overstretched and on the verge of collapse. 

Gaza was already in a dire humanitarian state due to years of blockade after Hamas took control in 2006, and UN agencies have described the situation now as "catastrophic".

Some 406,000 people are sheltering in facilities belonging to UNRWA, the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, which said on Sunday that its fuel supply will be gone in three days. Safe humanitarian access to people across Gaza is also critical.

In his statement, Mr. Griffiths praised the aid workers on the Palestinian side of the border who "immediately sprang to action to offload the goods" from the trucks "despite the risks."

He concluded by highlighting that these "true heroes" also need protection.