Aid to Gaza Remains Insufficient Weeks After Ceasefire, Agencies Warn

Aid to Gaza Remains Insufficient Weeks After Ceasefire, Agencies Warn
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Humanitarian agencies have warned that far too little aid is reaching Gaza nearly four weeks after a ceasefire, as hunger and poor living conditions persist with winter approaching, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Despite the truce being intended to allow large-scale relief into the war-ravaged enclave, aid organizations say deliveries remain well below required levels.

The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that only half the needed food supplies are entering Gaza, while a coalition of Palestinian aid groups said total aid deliveries amount to just 25–30 percent of what was expected. Israel maintains that it is fulfilling its obligations under the ceasefire, which stipulates around 600 aid trucks per day, and has accused Hamas of seizing food supplies — an allegation the group denies.

Gaza’s authorities, however, say only about 145 trucks are reaching their destinations each day due to Israeli restrictions. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the overall situation remains dire, though some improvement has been recorded since mid-October. Rates of acute malnutrition among children have slightly declined, and many families, especially in southern Gaza, now have access to two meals a day compared to one in July. Still, conditions in northern Gaza remain critical.

WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa described the situation as “a race against time,” stressing the need for unrestricted access and faster aid delivery before winter worsens humanitarian conditions. She said the agency has so far delivered 20,000 metric tons of food—roughly half the required amount—and opened 44 out of a planned 145 distribution sites.

Fuel shortages are also severely hindering relief operations. Over 60 percent of Gazans are reportedly using burning waste for cooking, posing significant health hazards. Meanwhile, deteriorating tents and unstable buildings leave millions without adequate shelter.

Amjad Al-Shawa, head of a Palestinian NGO network, said living conditions are “unimaginable,” warning of flooding and disease risks as the rainy season approaches. The Norwegian Refugee Council estimates that about 1.5 million people urgently need shelter, with much-needed materials still awaiting Israeli approval to enter Gaza.