Khaberni - The United Nations called on Wednesday for more crossings into the Gaza Strip to be opened to enhance the movement of individuals and goods and to expand the scope of humanitarian aid access to the Palestinian sector.
The United Nations spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said that UN workers and their partners from humanitarian organizations continue to work to ensure aid reaches the residents of the Gaza Strip, despite the current significant pressure on the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is the only crossing allowing goods into the sector.
He mentioned that humanitarian workers transported more than 270,000 liters of fuel to Gaza on Tuesday to ensure the continuation of essential humanitarian services.
He added that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provided animal feed, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) distributed food items, medicines, and kits containing sanitary pads, toothpaste, body wash, underwear, and scarves.
Supporting agricultural production
He continued that the FAO increase its cash support to reactivate the production of local crops for an additional thousand farmers in Gaza, noting that 200 farmers last year managed to grow over 500 metric tons of fresh vegetables, supported by the FAO Humanitarian Action Fund.
With the current expansion, the FAO expects farmers to be able to feed about 95,000 people for a full year through the production of nearly 5,000 metric tons of vegetables. This will help address food insecurity, enhance employment opportunities, and increase income.
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip was partially reactivated last March, where it received Palestinian injured arriving from the sector for treatment abroad, and witnessed the return of a new batch of patients who had recovered.
Following international pressure, Israel partially and exceptionally reopened the crossing in October last year after a ceasefire agreement with Hamas came into effect, and then completely closed it again when it launched coordinated strikes with the United States against Iran on February 28 last year.
According to Palestinian health sector officials in Gaza, the Israeli army has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians since the beginning of the war on Gaza in October 2023.
