On Tuesday, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that the aid entering the Gaza Strip is insufficient to cope with the severe humanitarian crisis caused by Israeli air strikes.
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UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder told Al Jazeera television that the situation in the Gaza Strip, where more than 2.3 million Palestinians are living, remains dire.
Elder described the immense humanitarian need and feeling of pain that has taken root in that territory after weeks of Israeli bombardment and the deaths of more than 15,000 people.
As part of the Hamas-Israel truce, the latter has authorized the entry of up to 200 trucks laden with food, water, medicine, fuel, and gas.
All trucks enter through the Rafah crossing on Egypt’s border because Benjamin Netanyahu’s Government refuses to open the other crossings to his country.
Before the conflict, about 500 heavy vehicles entered the Palestinian territory every day.
While a large volume of goods is welcome, several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and United Nations agencies affirmed that the numbers were insufficient to meet the population’s essential needs.
According to UNICEF official data, the escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip is having a catastrophic impact on children and families.Children are dying at an alarming rate: more than 5,000 have been killed and thousands injured. Meanwhile more than 1.7 million people in the Gaza Strip have been displaced, half of them children; they are running out of water, food, fuel and medicine. Their homes have been destroyed and their families torn apart.