At Least 1,000 Trucks Of Humanitarian Aid Needed In Gaza Daily Amid Rising Starvation Risks

GAZA, March 1 (Bernama-APS) -- At least a thousand trucks of humanitarian aid are needed daily for the Palestinian residents in the Gaza Strip.

Algerie Presse Service (APS), quoting a statement by the Director-General of Public Relations and Media at the Gaza Crossing, Hisham Udwan, reported the current number of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Rafah border daily is not sufficient to meet the needs of Gaza residents affected by the Hamas-Israel crisis.

"Previously, up to 500 trucks were allowed to enter the border every day, but now, due to the lack of storage for strategic aid here, we need at least a thousand trucks of aid," he said.

Palestinian residents in Gaza are now facing a severe hunger and humanitarian hardship since the crisis began on October 7 last year.

The World Food Programme (WFP) last week warned that the situation in Gaza is increasingly dangerous with "levels of desperation never seen before," while the United Nations (UN) warned that 2.2 million people are on the brink of starvation.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that alarming food shortages, in addition to an increase in nutritional deficiencies and diseases, could lead to a "surge" in child deaths in Gaza.

Israel also continues to obstruct the access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, especially to the northern region, while the aid reaching the southern part of the Peninsula is insufficient to cover the urgent needs of the people – particularly in Rafah – which is considered the last refuge.

Rafah, which covers an area of about 65 square kilometers, is now home to more than 1.3 million Palestinian people, the majority of whom live in tents made of plastic and cloth, without basic facilities and the minimum necessities for survival.

--BERNAMA