At the Rafah border crossing there is still a long line of trucks filled with aid for Gaza. Israel and the United Nations argue about why that is so. “The UN must do better – the aid is there and the population needs it,” Cogat, the Israeli government agency that coordinates humanitarian aid to Gaza, wrote in a post on X.
The trucks are currently driving from Egypt to the border crossing at Rafah, which is actually not suitable for so much transport. The trucks must drive forty kilometers to the Rapi Owga border crossing between Israel and Egypt for inspection by the Israelis, and the same way back to Rafah, where the UN transfers the goods to trucks that take the items to the rest of Gaza.
Cogat reports that the Israelis have freed up more capacity to inspect trucks. In addition, the Kerem Shalom border crossing, between Israel and Gaza, will open soon. This will double the capacity for inspections. Aid organizations active in the Gaza Strip have been complaining since the start of the fighting there that too few aid supplies are arriving.
The UN human rights agency Ocha acknowledged yesterday that the UN had been able to receive fewer aid supplies in recent days than before. This is believed to be partly due to a shortage of trucks and the loss of telephone and internet connections as a result of the fighting. In addition, UN staff would be unable to travel to the border crossing due to the fighting. The Israeli army is advancing further towards the south, where Rafah is located.
According to Ocha, most aid supplies do not go further than Rafah. Due to the intensity of the fighting and the many roadblocks and checkpoints, it is almost impossible to get goods to the rest of the Gaza Strip. Fuel is being supplied to a number of essential businesses, and a Red Crescent convoy reached Ahli Hospital in Gaza City on Saturday.
AFP – Medical supplies are unloaded at a hospital in Khan Younis.
Maarten Albers
2023-12-11 21:33:45
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