UNITED NATIONS, Mar 05 : UN humanitarian officials warned Tuesday that the continued closure of key border crossings into Gaza is putting civilian lives at risk, just as they begin to recover from months of war, deprivation and hunger.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the Kerem Shalom, Zikim and Erez crossings had remained closed for cargo for the third consecutive day, severely restricting the flow of humanitarian supplies into the devastated enclave.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Israeli authorities have rejected our attempts to collect humanitarian supplies that crossed the Kerem Shalom border crossing before its closure,\u201d he said, citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the huge needs in Gaza, keeping the crossings closed will have devastating consequences,\u201d he added, underscoring that Member States and those with influence must use all available means to ensure the ceasefire holds.<\/p>\n
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), warned on Tuesday that Israel\u2019s decision to halt aid should be reversed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHumanitarian aid must continue to flow at scale similar to what we have seen over the past six weeks when the ceasefire began. This brought respite and relief to people in need,\u201d he said in a post on the platform X.<\/p>\n
He noted that the vast majority of the people in Gaza rely on aid for their \u201csheer survival\u201d, adding that water, medical care and electricity were essential to complement basic food assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cAid and these basic services are non-negotiable. They must never be used as weapons of war,\u201d Mr. Lazzarini stated.<\/p>\n
Despite the restrictions, UN agencies and humanitarian partners on the ground are working to sustain aid operations across the Gaza Strip, Dujarric said.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the dialysis unit at Al Rantisi Children\u2019s Hospital in Gaza City resumed services on Tuesday, alongside a 25-bed in-patient unit. Paediatric services also resumed at the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza.<\/p>\n
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 29 child patients, along with 43 companions, were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan via Israel for specialized medical treatment. This marked the first WHO-supported medical evacuation to Jordan since the ceasefire began in January.<\/p>\n
Inside Gaza, WHO has also provided hygiene and sanitation supplies to thousands of women and girls, warning that the lack of access to clean water and sanitation could worsen mental health conditions for those who have been displaced.<\/p>\n
In the West Bank, Israeli military operations in Jenin have escalated, leading to more displacement and destruction, Mr. Dujarric reported.<\/p>\n
Israeli forces ordered residents in one part of Jenin city to evacuate their homes, displacing about 30 families \u201cincluding at least three, who had been displaced previously,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that Israeli forces used bulldozers, damaging infrastructure and causing power outages, while intensified access and movement restrictions to and from the city were also observed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 05 : UN humanitarian officials warned Tuesday that the continued closure of key border crossings into Gaza is putting civilian lives at risk, just as they begin to recover from months of war, deprivation and hunger. Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters […]<\/p>\n
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