UN seeks to step up delivery of supplies to Gaza residents

It is negotiating with Israel to raise volume, frequency of aid and open more crossings

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Israel will allow the United Nations to deliver larger amounts of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip starting on Oct 11, according to a senior UN official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plans.

The ceasefire agreement reached on Oct 9 between Israel and Hamas contains stipulations for an increase of aid into Gaza and the reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

The UN has said about 170,000 tonnes of food, medicine and other aid supplies are staged and ready to be transported into the enclave.

A UN spokesman, Mr Stephane Dujarric, said it was negotiating with Israeli authorities to increase the volume and frequency of aid going into Gaza, and to open more crossings.

“What has changed dramatically yesterday to today is the fact that the guns appear to have been silenced,” Mr Dujarric said. “It’s safer for our people to operate.”

Gaza is in the grip of a deep humanitarian crisis with widespread hunger, vast destruction of property and most of its two million people displaced repeatedly in the past two years of war. The territory was impoverished before the war began, and food supplies and other aid have been sharply curtailed since the conflict began, making things much worse.