UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Coordinator Tom Fletcher visited the Rafah border crossing today, stressing that the crossing is a “vital line” for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) points out that supplies from Egypt still have to bypass and be controlled by the Israeli side at Kerem Shalom until Rafah is opened for more direct access. Mr Fletcher stressed the need to “open all the passages” to enable “a massive escalation of the humanitarian flow and a reversal of the situation”.

Speaking from Cairo yesterday, he noted that “aid groups have been preparing for this moment – now they need sufficient access to deliver the large amount of aid that is needed”. In his statement, he also emphasized that “the humanitarian community cannot respond on the required scale without the participation and presence of international NGOs”.

OCHA recalls that Israeli authorities do not currently issue visas to many international NGOs or allow them to send supplies to Gaza.

At the same time, humanitarian groups inside Gaza are making the most of the opportunities offered by the ceasefire. On Tuesday alone, 21 partners distributed nearly 960,000 meals through 175 kitchens, while bakeries supported by the UN and its partners produced over 100,000 two-kilogram loaves of bread.

UNICEF distributed more than 1 million baby diapers, while the World Health Organization (WHO) delivered three truckloads of surgical and other medical supplies from its warehouse in Deir al-Bala to the central pharmacy in Gaza City.

The Director General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in his post that these medical supplies will be transferred to Al Shifa Hospital and “will meet the needs of 10,000 people”. WHO has also deployed an international medical emergency team to enhance trauma care, created two new operating rooms and plans to add 120 additional hospital beds to Al Shifa.

OCHA reported that UN teams have completed clearing the main roads to the Erez and Zikim crossings in the north, ahead of their possible reopening, which will allow aid to be flown directly into northern Gaza. Salah Ad Din road, which has been closed for months, is now under control, the main north-south route beyond coastal Al Rashid.

In addition, many UN agencies visited the Sheikh Radwan area of ​​Gaza City, which was severely affected by the military operation. There they met returning residents and those who remained throughout the hostilities, who said they were determined to “rebuild Gaza”. Their main humanitarian needs are “access to water, food, shelter and debris removal.”

In the last week, the UN mechanism 2720 secured the approval of the Israeli authorities for additional shipments, bringing the authorized volume of supplies to almost 200,000 tons, which include food, medical supplies, shelter materials, water and sanitation equipment, telecommunications and educational materials.

According to COGAT data, on Tuesday 716 trucks entered Gaza through crossings controlled by Israel, of which 16 were carrying fuel and LPG, while the rest passed through Kisufim and Kerem Shalom.

Despite the obstacles, the UN and its partners continue to send supplies through the crossings, then take them inside Gaza. From Friday to Tuesday alone, despite limited access due to the exchange of hostages and prisoners, UN teams managed to collect almost 3,500 tons of essential items.