After a six-week truce between Israel and “Hamas“ came into effect on Sunday, humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip have increased significantly, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported, BTA reports.
According to data cited by the Israeli authorities and the guarantors of the agreement, in just one day 653 trucks with aid passed through the “Erez“, “Zikim“ and “Kerem Shalom“.
Before the war began in October 2023, an average of 500 trucks a day delivered goods to the enclave, the UN notes.
Improvements in the humanitarian situation
Humanitarian organizations are making progress in reaching areas that were previously difficult to access. Working conditions for volunteers and aid workers have been significantly improved, allowing for the expansion of life-saving aid and services in the Gaza Strip.
The bulk of the aid delivered so far has been food, but additional shipments of medicine, shelter materials, sanitation and hygiene supplies are expected in the coming days.
The conflict: devastating scale
The Gaza war began on 7 October 2023, following a Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people. Israel responded with a massive bombardment of the coastal enclave and launched a ground offensive aimed at completely destroying “Hamas.“
According to Palestinian estimates, more than 46,000 people have died in Gaza since the start of the conflict, and much of the territory has been reduced to rubble.
Chance for humanitarian recovery
The ceasefire, which came into effect after lengthy negotiations, offers a fragile chance to ease the humanitarian crisis and help war-torn communities in Gaza. Increased aid deliveries offer hope of improving dire living conditions despite the volatile situation in the region.