By Jasper Ward
(Reuters) -The United Nations plans to ramp up its delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in the first 60 days of a ceasefire in the enclave, a top UN official said on Thursday, hours after a deal was struck between Israel and Hamas.
The deal is expected to go into effect 24 hours after an Israeli government meeting on Thursday. It will allow fleets of trucks carrying food and medical aid into Gaza, and allow the release of hostages and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces.
“We will aim to increase the pipeline of supplies to hundreds of trucks every day. We will scale up the provision of food across Gaza to reach 2.1 million people who need food aid and around 500,000 people who need nutrition,” said Tom Fletcher, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.
“Famine must be reverted in areas where it has taken hold and prevented in others,” he added at a briefing.
FAMINE AFFLICTS 500,000 PEOPLE
Gaza City and surrounding areas are suffering from famine that will likely spread, afflicting more than half a million Palestinians, according to an August report by the IPC global hunger monitor. Israel, which blocked all food from entering Gaza for almost three months this year, eased restrictions in July by allowing in more aid. The U.N. says far more aid is needed, and it is unable to reliably distribute supplies in Gaza, blaming Israeli military restrictions on movements and a breakdown of law and order.
Fletcher said the U.N. will also provide cash for 200,000 families to cover basic food needs. He added the organization will restore Gaza’s destroyed health system and deliver more medical supplies.
“We will now carry out a massive scale-up in shelter provision, including to help families prepare for winter. We’ll bring in and distribute thousands of tents every week in addition to tarps and other items,” he said, adding the focus will be on vulnerable families.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier on Thursday said red tape would need to be removed, and that safe and sustained access for humanitarian workers would be needed for the organization to carry out its plans.
News of a ceasefire deal came after the two-year anniversary of a Hamas-led attack on Israeli towns and a music festival on October 7, 2023, when 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken as hostages. Israel responded to the attack by launching an assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians.
(Reporting by Jasper WardEditing by Rod Nickel)
