A leading humanitarian organization has accused Israel of obstructing the delivery of life-saving equipment to the Gaza Strip, almost a month after a ceasefire came into effect, DPA reported, BTA reported.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned today that if aid does not arrive, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian families could face winter without adequate shelter.
The Council's regional director, Angelita Kareda, said time was running out to protect families in Gaza from the rain and cold. Only a small fraction of the aid needed to build temporary shelters is reaching the enclave, she said.
"No family should face winter in the open," Kareda said, adding: "Every day of delay puts people's lives in danger.".
The Israeli military agency for the Coordination of Government Action in the Territories (COGAT), which is responsible for humanitarian aid, said the shipments were arriving.
"Hundreds of trucks carrying food, water, fuel, gas, medicine, medical supplies, tents and equipment for building shelters are entering the Gaza Strip every day," the agency said.
According to the NSC, since the ceasefire began on October 10, Israel has rejected 23 applications from nine humanitarian organizations seeking to deliver the necessary equipment for building shelters, including tents, bedding, kitchenware and blankets.
The deliveries include nearly 4,000 pallets weighing about 1,700 tons.
Most applications have been rejected on the grounds that the organizations are not authorized to deliver humanitarian aid to the strip, said the NSB, which has been working in Gaza since 2009.
Through the so-called Shelter Cluster, the NSB coordinates the activities of many humanitarian groups that deliver temporary shelter supplies to the Palestinian territories. According to the organization, nearly 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza are in need of such urgent assistance.