Humanitarian aid during the Israel–Hamas war
Israel–Hamas war 2023 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
During the Israel–Hamas war, humanitarian aid entered into the Gaza Strip via air, land and sea. Early in the war, significant issues arose with humanitarian aid. Israel's initial blockade on Gaza, immediately following the October 7 attacks, prevented the entry of humanitarian aid for several weeks. As the war progressed, aid was allowed at limited quantities. Entities such as Oxfam, the European Union, United Kingdom, and United Nations stated that Israel is deliberately blocking humanitarian aid.[1] These limitations have contributed to a severe humanitarian crisis and a risk of famine. Israeli airstrikes and continued restrictions on aid entry led to widespread shortages of food and supplies. Humanitarian aid agencies warned of the dire humanitarian consequences of aid restrictions, particularly after major Western donors announced they would cease funding UNRWA, the major aid relief agency in Gaza.
According to Palestinian analyst Elhasan Bakr, the prewar amount of aid trucks into Gaza was 500-600 a day, with estimates of 1,000-1,500 trucks needed to alleviate starvation. Israel has failed to reach any of these goals.[2] By May 2024, the UN World Food Programme warned that "humanitarian operations in Gaza are near collapse".[3]
On 8 January 2024, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed then-First Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands Sigrid Kaag as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza.