UN: Nearly no humanitarian aid delivered to besieged northern Gaza in 40 days

The United Nations has issued a warning that Palestinians in sections of northern Gaza, which are under siege by Israeli forces, are “facing diminishing conditions for survival” due to the fact that almost no humanitarian assistance has arrived there in 40 days. The UN reported that all its efforts this month to provide support to an estimated 65,000 to 75,000 individuals residing in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and Jabalia were either rejected or obstructed, leading to the closure of bakeries and kitchens. A UN-supported evaluation conducted earlier in the current month indicated a high probability of an impending famine in northern Gaza regions. The Israeli military has stated that its offensive, which has lasted six weeks, is aimed at Hamas fighters who are regrouping, and that it is assisting with civilian evacuations and the delivery of supplies to hospitals. Hundreds of individuals have been killed, and between 100,000 and 130,000 more have been displaced to Gaza City, a location where the UN has indicated that vital resources such as shelter, water, and healthcare are critically scarce. Concurrently, the United States exercised its veto power on a proposed UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. While the other 14 Security Council members supported the resolution, the US contended that its wording did not explicitly demand the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas as a component of a ceasefire. The resolution itself “demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire to be respected by all parties, and further reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”. Israel characterized the text as a “resolution for appeasement” of Hamas, whereas France asserted that the resolution “very firmly” mandated the release of the hostages. As per the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN agencies had scheduled 31 missions to the besieged localities within the North Gaza governorate during the period of 1 to 18 November. Israeli authorities rejected twenty-seven of these missions, and the remaining four encountered significant impediments, which meant they were unable to complete all their intended tasks. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric informed reporters in New York, stating, “This is happening when the IPC Famine Review Committee said just 11 days ago that parts of northern Gaza face an imminent risk of famine – and that immediate action is needed in days, not weeks.” He further added, “The result is that bakeries and kitchens in North Gaza governorate have shut down, nutrition support [for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women] has been suspended, and the refuelling of water and sanitation facilities has been completely blocked.” Mr. Dujarric also mentioned that entry to the three hospitals in the area that are barely operational continued to be severely limited, amidst what he described as “desperate shortages” of medical supplies and fuel. On Sunday, a mission spearheaded by the World Health Organization to Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia successfully delivered 10,000 litres of fuel and facilitated the transfer of 17 patients, three unaccompanied children, and 22 caregivers to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Nevertheless, Mr. Dujarric reported that prior to reaching the hospital, the aid workers were compelled to unload all food provisions and a portion of the medical supplies they were transporting at an Israeli military checkpoint. Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan, issued a warning on Wednesday, stating that the situation at the hospital was deteriorating to become “even more catastrophic.” Gaza’s Hamas-administered health ministry quoted him as stating that the hospital was attending to 85 patients who were receiving “the minimum level of healthcare” and that it required children’s food and infant formula to address a rising number of malnutrition instances. He further indicated that since Tuesday, 17 children had presented at the emergency room exhibiting symptoms of malnutrition, and an elderly man had succumbed to severe dehydration. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not provide an immediate response. However, figures from Cogat, the Israeli military body overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, reported that 472 aid lorries had entered northern Gaza through the Erez West crossing by 17 November, though it did not specify if any of this aid reached the besieged areas. Cogat additionally stated its ongoing collaboration with international partners to “facilitate broad humanitarian responses for the civilian population in Gaza”. On Monday, a young boy from Beit Lahia recounted to BBC Arabic’s Gaza Today programme that he and his family had sought refuge in Gaza City following the Israeli military’s distribution of leaflets from a quadcopter, which commanded their immediate evacuation. He stated, “The road from Beit Lahia to Gaza [City] was rough and bumpy with no transport available for us. When we arrived, we didn’t find anything… neither food nor drink. We headed to the schools, but there was no space left because the number of displaced… was huge.” He continued, “As a result, we were thrown into the streets and didn’t know where to go. We are six families living in the streets, sitting on sand, dirt and debris.” The IDF issued a statement on Monday asserting that its forces had eliminated “dozens of terrorists in close-quarters encounters and through targeted strikes” within the Beit Lahia area during the preceding week. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Hamas-controlled Civil Defence agency informed AFP news agency that a drone strike had resulted in the deaths of two individuals, one of whom was a 15-year-old girl, at a school in Beit Lahia that was providing shelter to displaced families. He further reported that the agency’s first responders had also retrieved the remains of seven individuals who perished in an overnight Israeli strike on a residence in Jabalia. Israel initiated a campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas following the group’s unprecedented assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, an event that resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 individuals being taken hostage. Since that time, over 43,980 people have been killed in Gaza, as reported by the territory’s health ministry.