The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) asked Israel this Tuesday to open all entry points for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and expedite authorization procedures for its entry.
“The ceasefire does not solve all the problems of children in Gaza,” UNICEF’s representative in Palestine, Jonathan Crickx, told EFE, who insisted on the need to allow the entry of essential supplies.
“All our teams are ready and working, delivering tents, bedding, mattresses, and food. We have 1,300 trucks prepared to enter Gaza, in addition to material for six water pipes, medicines, medical equipment, and vaccines,” he explained, while emphasizing the urgency of accelerating permits and truck inspections.
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The representative pointed out that, for the moment, the only point open for the entry of humanitarian aid is the Kerem Shalom crossing, through which 45 UNICEF trucks managed to access on Sunday and a dozen more on Monday.
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However, he recalled that the crossing remains closed since Monday afternoon and throughout Tuesday due to the religious holiday in Israel.
For the head of UNICEF, a faster process is also needed from Israel to obtain entry permits and for the inspection of trucks entering Gaza.
Crickx recalled that the level of destruction in the Strip is very high: “More than 80% of the homes have been damaged or destroyed, numerous hospitals are not functioning, and malnutrition problems persist as food arrives slowly.”
“We need all entry points to Gaza to be open,” he reiterated, warning that humanitarian work is complicated by the arrival of winter, which could favor the spread of diseases.
“The ceasefire itself does not solve all the children’s mental problems,” noted Crickx, who recalled that in Gaza there are a million children who, it is true, are no longer exposed “to the bombings they heard and that frightened them.”
In Gaza, where more than 67,000 people have died from Israeli attacks, according to the local Ministry of Health, the UN has warned about the increase in diseases such as diarrhea, scabies, meningitis, and tuberculosis, making it urgent to open safe humanitarian corridors to assist the population.
