Jerusalem: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed Friday that it has enough supplies stored in Jordan and Egypt to fill 6,000 trucks, ready to be delivered into the Gaza Strip once access is permitted.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Israel continues to block the entry of humanitarian aid through Gaza's crossings. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher stated that the United Nations has managed to deliver only around 20 percent of the required aid to Gaza's population in recent months.
Juliette Touma, UNRWA's Director of Communications, informed reporters that the agency has sufficient supplies in Jordan and Egypt to fill 6,000 trucks ready to enter Gaza, but no progress has been made toward enabling this delivery.
Touma urged for the allowance of the United Nations, including UNRWA, to perform its humanitarian mission, highlighting the challenges of providing an adequate humanitarian response in Gaza without the agency's involvement.
She also highlighted the agency's crucial role in resuming education for 660,000 children who have been out of school for nearly two years. Half of these children were UNRWA students before the onset of Israel's war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
Touma pointed out that education is crucial not only for helping children cope with trauma but also for equipping them with skills necessary for the reconstruction of their society. She emphasized that when peace returns to the war-torn Strip, these children will be essential in rebuilding Gaza's future.
Additionally, she noted that UNRWA remains the largest humanitarian organization operating in Gaza, with around 12,000 staff members trusted by the local community.